European stocks markets opened largely down on Tuesday, as a worldwide stock rise stalled due to persistent inflation fears, according to dealers.

As data indicated the French economy shrunk in the first quarter, Frankfurt’s benchmark DAX shares index fell 0.7 percent to 14,476.02 points and the Paris CAC 40 fell 0.6 percent to 6,526.10.

On the upside, London’s FTSE 100 index gained just 0.1 percent to 7,608.54 points, compared with the closing level on Monday.

Read More: European stocks advance at open

Tuesday’s Asian markets were unstable, with inflation remaining a concern due to rising oil costs, while a top Federal Reserve official pushed for a series of fast interest rate hikes.

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