European stock markets pushed lower at the open on Tuesday, pressured by losses for oil majors, with banks also weak. The Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 0.4% to 273.93, with BP PLC down nearly 2% and Statoil ASA off 0.8%.
Crude-oil prices for October delivery fell nearly 30 cents to $96.32 a barrel, after closing down over $2 on talk of a possible Strategic Petroleum Reserve release. The FTSE 100 index fell 0.5% to 5,862.16, while the German DAX 30 index fell 0.6% to 7,359.76 and the French CAC 40 index slipped 0.5% to 3,735.80.
Shares of Akzo Nobel NV fell nearly 5%. The company said its Chief Executive Officer Ton Buechner will be taking a temporary leave of absence owing to a medical condition. Shares of Aviva PLC fell 4.7% after a broker downgrade.
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