LONDON — Europe’s stock markets were down in mid-morning trading on Thursday, with the DAX in Frankfurt leading the slide.
The German market fell 1.7 percent to 11,665.50, followed by the CAC 40 in Paris and the FTSE MIB in Milan, both of which fell 1.5 percent to 4,943.96 and to 22,805.96 respectively. The FTSE 100 in London retreated 1.3 percent to 6,903.26.
The euro traded at $1.09, while the pound fetched $1.49, and the Swiss franc equaled $1.04 at 11:20 a.m. CET.
Retail and luxury stocks were down across the board, with the morning’s biggest fallers including Hugo Boss, 3.6 percent to 110 euros; Asos.com, 2.8 percent to 34.67 pounds; Brunello Cucinelli, 3 percent to 16.06 euros; Salvatore Ferragamo, 4.5 percent to 27.54 euros; and Safilo Group, 2.3 percent to 13.47 euros.
Europe’s markets suffered from a variety of woes, including Saudi Arabia-led military operations in Yemen aimed at rooting out militants; continued fears that Greece may leave the euro zone; and downbeat economic data from the U.S.