12:01 PM EST, 03/05/2024 (MT Newswires) -- European stock markets closed mostly lower Tuesday as Germany's DAX slipped 0.1%, France's CAC fell 0.3%, Stoxx Europe 600 slid 0.27%, the Swiss Market Index was down 0.12%, while the FTSE in London was up 0.08%.

Industrial producer prices in the euro area fell 0.9% month over month and 8.6% year over year in January, according to Eurostat.

The HCOB Eurozone Composite PMI Output Index rose to an eight-month high of 49.2 in February from 47.9 in January, while the Services PMI Business Activity Index climbed to a seven-month of 50.2 from 48.4, according to S&P Global and Hamburg Commercial Bank.

In corporate news, shares of industrial equipment rental company Ashtead Group fell 9.4% on the FTSE on Tuesday after reporting lower profit for fiscal Q3.

Shares of British assurance, testing and certification company Intertek Group rose 6.2% on the FTSE after reporting higher profit and revenue for 2023.

On the DAX, Bayer led the decliners as the German pharmaceutical company company dropped 7.5% after it reported a net loss and lower revenue for 2023. Also Tuesday, Chief Executive Bill Anderson said the company will "keep an open mind" regarding a possible breakup of the company.