European stocks end midweek lower ahead of Fed's interest rate decision
Stoxx 600 down 0.54%, Britain's FTSE falls 0.44%, Germany's DAX slips 0.58%, France's CAC off 0.91%
ISTANBUL
European stock markets closed the third trading day of the week with losses as investors focused on financial results before the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions.
The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 0.54% to 533.47 points, with the retail index sinking 2.2%, leading the losses
France's CAC 40 index decreased 0.91% to 7,626.84 points and Germany's DAX 40 fell 0.58% to 23,115.96.
The UK's FTSE 100 index lost 0.44% to 8,559.33 and the FTSE MIB 30 index in Italy was off 0.62% to 38,319.89 points.
The Euro/dollar parity traded at 1.1346, down 0.21% as of 1715GMT.
Investors' attention turned to the Fed's monetary policy decisions later Wednesday, and remarks by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.
Powell's response to US President Donald Trump's demand to cut interest rates is eagerly awaited. Markets estimate that political pressure will be resisted and policy interest rates will remain unchanged.
