Europe closes lower on vaccine delivery issues
Major stock markets in Europe closed with losses on Wednesday as the COVID-19 vaccine deliveries continued to be the main point of concern for EU governments. While Commissioner Stella Kyriakides insisted Brussels would defend the "integrity of investments" made in AstraZeneca's vaccine development after the delivery delays, London asserted the shipments in the UK would continue as planned.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stressed the coronavirus outbreak in the UK is still "perilous," noting that the data on immunity provided by the inoculation campaign will be available next month. Meanwhile, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier estimated that Germany's economy would return to pre-crisis level by the second half of next year.
The DAX plunged 1.61% at the closing bell, with Delivery Hero SE sinking 4.53%. The FTSE declined 1.27%, as Fresnillo PLC dived 12.70%. The CAC 40 dropped 1.13%. ArcelorMittal SA was the worst performer, decreasing by 4.27%. The euro lost 0.56% to sell for 1.20991 at 5:32 pm CET, while the pound fell 0.27% to $1.37028.