European equities softer at the open

Stoxx 600 -0.8%Germany DAX -0.7%France CAC 40 -0.9%UK FTSE -0.2%Spain IBEX -0.5%The prospects of higher inflation is still largely weighing on sentiment in Europe, in turn leading to the outlook that the region is headed for a pronounced economic slowdown in the months ahead. The lack of resolution in the Russia-Ukraine conflict also doesn’t help in that regard.But just be wary that overall risk sentiment is more mixed on the day, with US futures holding slightly higher. S&P 500 futures are up 0.3%, Nasdaq futures up 0.5%, and Dow futures up 0.3% currently.