European stocks fall as government bond yields rise

European stocks fell as government bond yields rose in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, amid waning investor confidence in a potential trade agreement with the United States following reports that the European Union was preparing to respond with countermeasures.

During Tuesday's trading, the STOXX Europe 600 fell 0.25% to 545 points at 10:31 AM Mecca time, with gains in mining and utilities stocks limiting the European index's losses.

While the UK's FTSE 100 remained unchanged at 9,012 points, the French CAC 40 fell 0.35% to 7,771 points, and the German DAX fell 0.45% to 24,202 points.

Shares in British utility Centrica (London: CNA) rose 4.25% after it announced a £1.3 billion ($1.75 billion) investment in the construction of the Sizewell C plant, set to be the largest nuclear power project in Britain in decades. Shares in Swiss bank Julius Baer fell 2.2% after first-half net profit fell 35% year-on-year to CHF295 million ($369.5 million), according to CNBC