European stocks sink at open in global selloff

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index of top blue-chip companies sank 1.8 percent to 6,999.21 points compared with Monday's closing level.

Europe's major stock markets dived by more than 1.5 percent at the open on Tuesday, joining a global selloff on heightened inflation fears.

In the eurozone, the Paris CAC 40 dropped 1.5 percent to 6,287.47 and Frankfurt's DAX 30 lost 1.6 percent to 15,150.34 points. (Reuters file photo. Representative image)

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index of top blue-chip companies sank 1.8 percent to 6,999.21 points compared with Monday's closing level.

In the eurozone, the Paris CAC 40 dropped 1.5 percent to 6,287.47 and Frankfurt's DAX 30 lost 1.6 percent to 15,150.34 points.

Asian equities also tumbled, following steep losses on Wall Street, as investors grew increasingly worried about a surge in inflation that could force central banks to wind back their ultra-loose monetary policies earlier than forecast.

"Inflation is what keeps investors up at night," said Swissquote analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya.