Brussels Edition

Europe’s Equity Rally Unravels as Anxiety Takes Hold

The Stoxx Europe 600 is now a laggard compared to other indices

Roland Lescure, France’s finance minister, at the G-7 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Paris, France, on Monday, May 18, 2026.Photographer: Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg

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By Suzanne Lynch

May 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC

Welcome to the Brussels Edition. I’m Suzanne Lynch, Bloomberg’s Brussels bureau chief, bringing you the latest from the EU each weekday. Make sure you’re signed up.

Group of Seven finance ministers are meeting today in Paris against a backdrop of mounting anxiety in markets. Inflationary fears prompted by the war in the Middle East helped drive last week’s bond selloff.

With global bond yields hovering near multiyear highs, G-7 ministers arriving at the gathering were keen to project calm.