Doha: European stocks closed mixed Wednesday, ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision, as investors assessed comments from European Central Bank (ECB) officials regarding the future of monetary policy in the Eurozone. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed flat at 577.78, continuing its narrow trading range of the past few sessions.

According to Qatar News Agency, Germany’s DAX index fell 0.15% to 24,130 points, while France’s CAC 40 declined 0.35% to 8,022 points. In contrast, the UK’s FTSE 100 rose 0.15% to 9,655 points. The automotive sub-index led the losses Wednesday, falling 1.5%, impacted by a 4.8% drop in Ferrari shares. Industrial stocks, which had supported the market in previous sessions, also declined 0.35%, with defense stocks falling.

The European aerospace and defense index experienced a decline of 0.8 percent after rising more than 2 percent in the previous two sessions.