European markets slip as HSBC earnings disappoint and French protests linger

On Tuesday, European stock markets slipped, with the Stoxx 600 index down 0.2% after HSBC posted revenue below analysts' forecasts, causing its shares to tumble 6.9% and dragging the broader banking index lower. The bank attributed the shortfall partly to a slowdown in its wealth-management business. Investor confidence remained fragile as French student leaders pledged to keep protesting, even after the government offered concessions on education policy, adding to broader concerns about unrest in the euro zone's second-largest economy.

French equities had already lost more than 2% the previous week amid the turmoil. In contrast, Swiss drugmaker Novartis raised its full-year core operating income guidance, lifting its stock by about 3.1%.