European stocks closed notably lower on Thursday with investors reacting to the hawkish tone in the minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy meeting.
The minutes of the Fed's December meeting suggested the central bank will more aggressive in tightening monetary policy. In addition to raising rates more quickly than previously anticipated, the minutes also indicated the Fed plans to begin reducing its balance sheet shortly after the first rate hike.
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May 22, 2026 14:46 ET Minutes of the latest Fed policy session was the highlight of the week along with survey data on the U.S. housing market. In Europe, survey data signaled the trends in the euro area private sector. Further, consumer price inflation data from the U.K. was in focus. In Asia, various economic indicators from China drew attention to the health of the economy.