FTSE100, STOXX600 start the day with losses, follows chipmakers' shares

European shares took a tumble in the recent session, driven down by a decline in chipmakers' shares and British drugmaker AstraZeneca.

Additionally, growing concerns about an escalation in the Middle East conflict added to the overall negative sentiment, influencing the market downturn. The strike on a Gaza hospital, resulting in the loss of hundreds of Palestinian lives, added tension to President Joe Biden's visit to Israel.

At the time of writing, the UK FTSE 100 is down by 0.54% at 7,546, while the European STOXX 600 drops at 441 points. The German DAX PERFORMANCE-INDEX is down by 0.29% to 15,051.

London shares took a hit following a decline in Wall Street stocks. A British biotech firm announced a £70 million investment from bioMérieux, owned by the French billionaire Merieux family.

Semiconductor equipment maker ASML Holding experienced a 3.4% loss after reporting lower-than-expected orders and warning of flat sales next year. This, in turn, dragged down shares of other chipmakers like ASM International, Aixtron, and BE Semiconductor, impacting Europe's technology sector.

Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia Corporation is set to implement an aggressive cost reduction plan, involving layoffs of 9,000 to 14,000 employees. The move aims to streamline its workforce from 86,000 to between 72,000 and 77,000. The company attributes its financial challenges to macroeconomic factors, reduced customer spending, and slower 5G technology deployment in India and North America.

The Capital Market Authority (CMA) convicted Swiss International Marketing Company and SwissFS for violating securities regulations. The companies were found guilty of unauthorized securities activities, and promoted on LinkedIn, leading to penalties of $560,000 each.