European stock markets are mixed, defense stocks are falling while technology stocks remain firm.

In the quiet early trading session, European stock indices showed mixed movements. With the global tech stocks' sharp decline weakening, the Euro Stoxx 600 Index remained flat, but with Rheinmetall Metal plummeting significantly, defense stocks fell. Reports suggest that the German government will withdraw funding for a new military ship, causing shares of this defense giant to plummet by nearly 12%. This stock dragged down the German DAX index, which fell by 0.5%. The UK's FTSE 100 Index remained flat, as the weakness in software and defense stocks was offset by the strength in the real estate and home construction sectors. Meanwhile, with LVMH Group surging by 2.2%, the rise in luxury stocks boosted Paris' CAC 40 Index by 0.35%. The Netherlands' AEX index, which has a strong semiconductor weighting, rose slightly by 0.1%, as ASML rose by 0.5% after a sharp decline in the previous trading day. Italy's FTSE MIB Index and Spain's IBEX 35 Index both fell by around 0.3%.