European stock indices opened today with overall declines.

European stock indices witnessed a lackluster start to the last trading day of the week, as investors assess the financial results of the German Mercedes-Benz group, the French Sanofi, and the British NatWest financial group, while awaiting the IFO business climate index for Germany.

In terms of trading, the performance of European stock indices at the opening was as follows:

• The Euro Stoxx 600 index declined by 0.12%.
• The German DAX index fell by 0.21%.
• The French CAC 40 index dropped by about 0.23%.
• The British FTSE 100 index decreased by 0.1%.
• The Spanish IBEX index fell by 0.1%.
• The Italian FTSE MIB index remained stable.

The corporate earnings results were mixed, as Mercedes opened the session down by 3.2% after announcing a 64% drop in operating profits in its core automotive division, citing weaker macroeconomic conditions and intense competition, particularly in Asia, as the main reasons for the decline.

On the other hand, shares of the British NatWest bank rose by 3% after its quarterly earnings exceeded expectations with significantly higher profits.