European stocks skidded on Monday as travel and leisure stocks fell.
The Stoxx Europe 600
SXXP,
-1.61%
fell 1.15% to 449.50, on worries about the inability of major economies to return to normality as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers even with the emergence of vaccines. Decliners included cruise operator Carnival
CCL,
-7.13%,
plane maker Airbus
AIR,
-3.98%
and engine maker Safran
SAF,
-3.49%.
Of the major regional indexes, the German DAX
DAX,
-1.79%
declined 0.96%, the French CAC 40
PX1,
-1.88%
slumped 1.18% and the U.K. FTSE 100
UKX,
-1.80%
slumped 1.12%.
In England, the lifting of many restrictions, dubbed “Freedom Day,” was also coupled with new restrictions on travel to France, on worries about the beta variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Reversing an earlier decision, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now in quarantine until July 26, after contact with the country’s health minister, who is a confirmed coronavirus case.
The Nikkei 225
NIK,
-1.25%
declined 1.3% in Tokyo, in what was a broad pullback across most of Asia. Infections reported in the Olympic Village ahead of the opening games underscored the difficulties the world has encountered trying to reopen economies.
