European Stocks Decline Ahead of Busy Week of Earnings Reports

European stocks declined today, Monday, with the Stoxx 600 index down 0.2%. Oil and gas shares were the biggest losers, dropping 1.1% due to a decline in oil prices of more than 1%, amid concerns regarding rising interest rates. Healthcare stocks increased by 0.4%, led by Philips NV, which surged 10.8% after the Dutch health technology group reported better-than-expected first-quarter results. Investors are closely watching the upcoming earnings reports of high-value American companies, including Microsoft, Alphabet (Google's parent company), and Amazon, which are expected this week.