India, June 18 -- European stocks were mixed on Wednesday, with Middle East tensions, regional inflation data and central bank decisions in focus.
Amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil route, has become a focal point of concern. Investors remain worried that disruption of oil flows through this narrow strait could hit global economy hard.
In economic news, U.K. consumer price inflation softened in May largely due to easing transportation cost, data from the Office for National Statistics revealed.
The consumer price index registered an annual increase of 3.4 percent, slightly slower than the 3.5 percent rise seen in April. However, inflation was slightly above forecast of 3.3 percen...