12:14 PM EDT, 03/09/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets were declining in Monday trading as investors continued to be wary of the escalating Middle East war and soaring oil prices.

The Stoxx Europe fell 0.7%, Germany's DAX lost 0.6%, the FTSE 100 was down 0.4%, France's CAC declined 1%, and the Swiss Market Index dropped 1.2%.

Mining and automotive stocks were tracking sharply lower in Monday trading.

Shares of mining companies Anglo American and Antofagasta fell 4.4% and 3.2% respectively in London, while Rio Tinto's stock dropped 2.1%. ArcelorMittal lost 4.3% in Paris, while Heidelberg Materials was off close to 2% in Frankfurt.

Among the automotive stocks, automaker Stellantis' shares were down close to 3% in Paris, as was tire maker Michelin. Tire maker Continental dropped 4.7% on the DAX, while automakers Porsche and BMW fell 3.3% and 1.9% respectively, and Volkswagen declined 1.7%. Shares of Ferrari were down 2.1% in Milan.

In corporate news, Novo Nordisk's weight loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic will be sold by Hims & Hers Health in pills and injection form later this month, the latter said Monday. As part of the deal, Novo Nordisk is dismissing its lawsuit against Hims & Hers, which alleged patent infringement over the telehealth company's mass marketing of unapproved versions of Wegovy and Ozempic.

Shares of the Danish pharmaceutical company gained nearly 3% in Copenhagen.

TotalEnergies has evacuated its expatriate employees working in Basra, Iraq, after airstrikes in the region, Reuters reported Friday, citing unnamed sources.

"Considering the crisis in the Middle East, TotalEnergies has decided to organize the return of employees' families present in several countries in the region," the company told MT Newswires.

Shares of the French oil and gas company were up 1% in Paris.

GSK said Monday that it has entered a license agreement under which Alfasigma will acquire the global exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize Linerixibat for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in patients with primary biliary cholangitis.

GSK said it will receive an upfront payment of $300 million, plus $100 million upon US FDA approval which is expected on March 24, before the closing of the transaction.

Shares of the British pharmaceutical company were off 0.3% in London.

STMicroelectronics said Monday that it is starting "high-volume production" of its silicon photonics-based PIC100 platform, targeting to more than quadruple output by 2027. The company said hyperscalers use PIC100 for optical interconnect for data centers and artificial intelligence clusters.

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