European Shares Slide Amid Falling Healthcare and Financial Stocks

European stocks fell on Tuesday with healthcare and financial sectors dropping. The STOXX 600 index decreased by 0.3% as investors awaited key inflation data. Notable losses were seen in Novo Nordisk and AstraZeneca, while Sodexo also performed poorly. Conversely, Next rose after upgrading its profit outlook.

European shares saw a decline on Tuesday as healthcare and financial stocks struggled, following substantial gains in the previous session. Investors are keenly awaiting key inflation data expected later today, which could further influence market movements across the continent.

The STOXX 600 index, regarded as Europe's primary benchmark, fell by 0.3% as of 0810 GMT. This drop comes on the heels of hitting a more than two-week high on Monday, driven by a report suggesting that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump might reduce tariff aggressiveness, a claim he later refuted.

Healthcare stocks were early losers, with a 0.8% dive as Novo Nordisk tumbled by 2.1% and AstraZeneca slid by 1.5%. Financial insurers and banks also faced downturns. Meanwhile, The French consumer price index rose less than expected in December. Notably, Sodexo shares plummeted 6.1% following disappointing first-quarter revenue figures. In contrast, British retailer Next climbed 2.7% after raising its annual profit forecast for the fourth time in half a year.

(With inputs from agencies.)