[Europe Open] Slightly Lower Across the Board... France CAC Down 0.45%

European stock markets are showing a slight decline across the board in early trading. The UK's April Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.3% year-on-year, exceeding market expectations, which appears to have weakened hopes for a rate cut in June.

As of 5:18 PM on the 22nd (Korea time), the UK FTSE 100 index is down 0.41% from the previous trading day, standing at 8,381.91.

France's CAC index is trading down 0.45% at 8,105.09. Germany's DAX index recorded a 0.22% decline to 18,686.04.