-- The European stock markets were trending lower Thursday as investors remain cautious about a possible peace deal between the US and Iran, as well as the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Stoxx Europe was down 0.8%, Germany's DAX was declining 0.7%, the FTSE 100 was falling 1.4%, France's CAC was losing 0.8%, and the Swiss Market Index was heading 0.9% lower.
Mining, automotive, and luxury stocks were tracking higher, while falling oil prices sent energy stocks lower.
And in corporate news, UBS Group was fined 7 million euros ($8.2 million) in Monaco over certain failures of the bank's anti-money laundering policies, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing a decision by the Monegasque Financial Security Authority or AMSF.
The failures include taking on a new client based on outdated and untranslated documents in Russian and failing to properly review transactions related to high-risk territories, according to the report.
UBS and AMSF did not immediately respond to' requests for comments.
Shares of the Swiss bank were down 0.4% in Zurich.
Shell reported Q1 adjusted earnings Thursday of $1.22 per share, up from $0.92 a year earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet expected $1.04.
Revenue for the quarter ended March 31 was $69.69 billion, up from $69.23 billion a year ago. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $81.4 billion.
The company also launched a $3 billion share repurchase program and increased its quarterly interim dividend by 5% to $0.3906, payable June 29 to holders on record as of May 22.
Shares of the British oil and gas company were moving 3.3% lower in London.
BioNTech has authorized a new $1 billion share repurchase program for its American depositary shares, the company said Thursday.
The German biotech firm said the program will run until and including May 6, 2027.
Shares of BioNTech were less than 0.1% lower in Frankfurt.
Eni's Geliga-1 offshore Indonesia discovery delivered strong drill stem test results, confirming robust reservoir productivity and underscoring the strategic significance of the Kutei Basin, the company said Thursday.
During testing, the well flowed at up to 60 million standard cubic feet per day, constrained by rig capacity and with minimal pressure drawdown. Eni estimates the well could sustainably produce about 200 MMSCFD of gas and 10,000 barrels per day of condensate.
Shares of the Italian oil and gas company were losing 2.8% in Milan.