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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Europe open: Shares slump on Middle-East tensions, Wall Street

(Sharecast News) - European shares opened sharply lower on Tuesday after hefty losses on Wall Street as investors waited for Israel's response to a missile attack by Iran on Saturday. The pan-regional Stoxx 600 index was down 1.39% at 498.91 with all major markets down. US and Asia markets led the downward trend overnight, with investors caught on the hop by news that electric car maker Tesla was axing 10% of its workforce.

Tensions remain high in the Middle East as Israel vowed to retaliate, with key Western powers calling for calm amid fears the conflict could easily escalate into a much larger war.

"The ongoing uncertainty has left its mark on stocks across the globe, with the effect of fear being compounded by a mixed start to earnings season," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Sophie Lund-Yates.

In economic news, the UK unemployment rate in the three months to February rose to 4.2%.

In equity news, Ericsson shares were up after the company released first quarter results.

Dr Martens shares slumped by a third after issuing another profit warning and announcing the departure of chief executive Kenny Wilson.

Global payments technology company Wise fell almost 8% despite saying it continued to enjoy a strong uptake for its services during the last quarter of its fiscal year.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com

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Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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