European stocks decline, weighed down by banking sector

European stocks fell on Wednesday, weighed down by a decline in the banking sector, with attention focused on corporate earnings ahead of a busy day of central bank decisions, important data releases, and the August 1 deadline for US tariffs.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 0.3%, the German DAX index fell 0.3%, and the French CAC 40 index rose 0.1%.

The banking index fell 0.9%, a day after hitting its highest levels since September 2008.