European stock indexes fell in Wednesday's trading, as investors continued to monitor geopolitical news and evaluate quarterly company results, amid expectations of the results of meetings of leading central banks.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index of Europe's largest companies fell by 0.60% to 602.96 points.

The UK's FTSE 100 lost 1.16%, Germany's DAX - 0.27%, France's CAC 40 - 0.39%, Italy's FTSE MIB - 0.51%, and Spain's IBEX 35 - 0.74%.

The lack of clarity on the prospects for resolving the US-Iran conflict had a negative impact on investor sentiment. Negotiations between the parties have reached an impasse, and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues, which contributes to the rise in oil prices and intensifies concerns about accelerating inflation.

The US Federal Reserve will conclude its meeting on Wednesday evening, and on Thursday the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England will announce their interest rate decisions. Experts and market participants generally expect all three regulators to keep interest rates at their previous levels. Against this backdrop, their assessment of the economic consequences of the war in the Middle East will be of particular interest.

According to preliminary data from the INE statistics agency published on Wednesday, inflation in Spain, calculated according to harmonized EU standards, accelerated in April, reaching the highest level since June 2024 - 3.5% per year, from 3.4% in the previous month; this indicator is well above the ECB's target level of 2%.

The composite index of business and consumer confidence in the eurozone fell to 93 points this month from 96.2 points in March, the European Commission said in a report. Analysts had expected a decline to 95.2 points on average, according to Trading Economics.

Mercedes-Benz Group shares fell 0.6%. The automaker cut EBIT and net profit by 17% in January-March, while revenue fell by 5%.

TotalEnergies shares fell 0.1% despite soaring oil prices, strong reporting, a dividend hike, and an increase in buybacks.

BP plc's market value fell 0.5%, while Shell's fell 0.2%.

The capitalization of the British GSK Plc fell by 5.4%, and that of its competitor AstraZeneca by 1.5%, although the quarterly results of both pharmaceutical companies exceeded market expectations.

Shares of the German Deutsche Bank fell by 1.8%, and the UK’s Lloyds by 1.5%, despite their positive reports.

Spanish tech company Amadeus lost 1.6% of its market value after it was reported that the company would buy the security systems development unit of the French Idemia for 1.2 billion euros.

Pernod Ricard's shares fell by 3.1%. The manufacturer of alcoholic beverages announced the termination of negotiations on the purchase of the American Brown-Forman Corp., which produces Jack Daniel's whiskey.

Among the components of the DAX, the leader in growth was adidas (+8.4%). The sporting goods maker's first-quarter operating profit and revenue were better than market expectations.

Airbus shares rose 5.1% in Paris trading on news that China Southern Airlines and its subsidiary Xiamen Airlines have ordered A320neo aircraft worth $21.4 billion.

The UK’s Intertek Group, which operates in the inspection and certification sector, increased its capitalization by 3.7% after Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that Swedish investment firm EQT is preparing a new and improved offer for its purchase.

Swiss UBS Group increased its market value by 3.2%. The world leader in asset management for wealthy clients increased net profit 1.8 times in the last quarter, exceeding expert estimates.

Shares in Spain's Santander rose 1% after the bank reported a 60% jump in net profit in the first quarter, including on the account of gains from the sale of a stake in its Polish unit.