European stocks open lower: FTSE MIB falls 1.24%, STOXX 600 down 1.60%

European stock markets opened lower on Friday, 6 November 2026, with Milan's FTSE MIB down 1.24% at 49880.3 points at 09:12 Rome time. The pan-European STOXX 600 fell 1.60% in the same period.

What happened

The FTSE MIB stood at 49880.3 points at 09:12, a drop of 625.57 points from the previous close of 50505.87. The Milan benchmark lost 1.24% in the first minutes of the session, which began at 09:00.

The STOXX Europe 600 was weaker still. It traded at 644.41 at 09:12, down 10.46 points from 654.87 at the previous close, a fall of 1.60%.

In Frankfurt, the DAX Performance Index stood at 25963.8 at 09:27. That is 223.5 points below the previous close of 26187.3, a loss of 0.85%. Among the three benchmarks in this report, the German index showed the smallest decline.

Why it matters

The opening shows a broad retreat across Europe rather than a move limited to one market. All three indexes were in negative territory within the first half hour of trading. The decline was sharpest on the pan-European index, which covers companies from many countries and sectors.

For Italy, the fall in the FTSE MIB comes after the index closed the previous session at 50505.87. Italian equities follow the broader European mood, and they are also sensitive to the euro area economic outlook, which affects domestic banks and industrial groups.

For investors, the session so far is a reminder that benchmark levels can change quickly at the open, and that the early readings may shift as more data and trading volume arrive.

What to watch next

The main scheduled event is the release of eurozone retail sales for September at 10:00 UTC, which is 11:00 in Rome. Two readings are due.

The monthly figure has an estimate of -0.1%, against a previous reading of 0.1%. The annual figure has an estimate of 0.6%, against a previous reading of 0.8%. Both are classed as high-impact events on the economic calendar.

Retail sales are a gauge of household spending in the euro area. The actual numbers were not yet published at the time of writing, so any market reaction is still to come. The next indications will be how the three indexes trade after the release, and whether the early losses widen or narrow by the close of the Milan session at 17:30.