May 28 - European shares retreated on Thursday as a flare-up in hostilities between Iran and the United States intensified concerns around supply routes and commodity prices, clouding hopes for an early agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The broad-based STOXX 600 fell 0.4% to 625.83 as of 0806 GMT, while the main regional exchanges also showed losses.
Crude oil, a critical input for energy-scarce Europe, climbed more than 2.5% to around $97 a barrel as the conflict escalated. Concurrently, Kuwait reported it was intercepting hostile missile and drone threats, reminiscent of the kind of attacks seen during the peak of the conflict in March.
Stocks sensitive to surging fuel costs suffered notable pressure. Carriers such as Air France and Lufthansa each dipped roughly 1%, reflecting the sector's vulnerability to rising energy bills. More broadly, most industry groups finished lower, though technology names provided some offset to the downward move in the market.
Among individual movers, French semiconductor materials provider Soitec surged about 16% after delivering annual sales that exceeded market expectations. Semiconductor peers also advanced: Infineon and STMicroelectronics each gained more than 2%.
In contrast, BT traded lower, falling about 2.5% in volatile sessions after a report indicated the British government would oppose any effort by Indian billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal to raise his stake in the telecoms group, citing the necessity of retaining sovereign control over "critical national infrastructure."
The session data referenced a number of intraday movements: LHAG down 0.55%, AIRF down 1.66%, STMPA up 2.12%, IFXGn up 2.68%, BT down 2.72%, SOIT up 12.97%, LCO up 2.53%, and STOXX down 0.56%, with XBR/USD higher by 1.54% in the quoted snapshot. These moves illustrated a mix of defensive positioning and selective buying in technology-related stocks.
Market participants remained attuned to the intersection of geopolitical developments and energy market dynamics, which in turn fed through to sectoral performance across travel, energy-exposed industries, and supply-chain sensitive technology suppliers.