European stocks slip Thursday ahead of ECB decision as oil climbs; STOXX 600 down about 0.2%

Europe's pan-regional STOXX 600 index slipped about 0.2 percent in early trade on Thursday, July 23. London's FTSE 100 fell 0.4 percent, Germany's DAX lost 0.2 percent and Spain's IBEX dropped 0.4 percent. Investors were awaiting the European Central Bank's interest-rate decision later the same day, with policymakers widely expected to hold the key rate at 2.25 percent after a 0.25 percentage point hike in June.

A jump in oil prices weighed on sentiment: Brent rose about 2.2 percent, reviving concern that a prolonged energy spike could add secondary inflationary pressure across the euro area. The military tensions between the United States and Iran and the risk to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have been the main driver of oil's climb. Markets were also awaiting quarterly results from major U.S. technology companies.