1621 GMT - A fresh spike in oil prices exacerbates fears that the U.S. Federal Reserve takes a hawkish turn, prompting a pullback in stocks, XTB's Kathleen Brooks writes. "Markets are back in panic mode," Brooks writes. "Every time the oil price spikes above $100 per barrel, risk assets shudder." Stocks that are sensitive to interest-rate hikes are in the firing line, she adds. The Europe-wide Stoxx 600 is down 0.9% after rising 0.6% in early European trade. In London, the FTSE 100 underperforms its European peers as miners weigh on the index, while Unilever drops 3.7% after a report that the consumer-goods company might spin off its food business. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 18, 2026 12:21 ET (16:21 GMT)

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