FTSE down 0.41%; DAX down 0.07%; CAC 40 down 0.69% (Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - London, 26 Jun - European shares closed lower as sentiment was subdued as investors braced for the first US presidential debate on Thursday and the first round of voting in the French election next weekend.

Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National) party and its allies were seen leading the first round of the country's elections with 35.5% of the vote, according to a poll published on Sunday.

On the data front, the German consumer sentiment index published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions unexpectedly fell to -21.8 heading into July from a slightly revised -21.0 in June, halting a four-month surge.

Traders are now awaiting fresh US inflation data due on Friday with the release of May's personal consumption expenditures price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge.

The London FTSE 100 closed down 0.41% at 8,247.79 points, the Frankfurt DAX fell 0.07% at 18,149.45 points, the Paris CAC 40 dipped 0.69% at 7,609.15 points, while in Milan the FTSE MIB lost 0.49% at 33,541.98 points, and in Madrid the IBEX 35 closed 0.80% lower at 11,030.30 points.

AAA-Zap

(RADIOCOR) 26-06-24 18:04:09 (0585) 5 NNNN