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May 18 Reuters European shares slipped on Wednesday led by technology stocks, as worries about inflation and monetary policy tightening dampened optimism around China39;s economic recovery.

The panEuropean STOXX 600 index fell 0.1 by 0820 GMT after rising 3.6 since Friday.

Technology shares slipped 0.7, while a fall in copper prices weighed on basic material stocks.

Data on Wednesday showed British consumer price inflation hit 9 in April, its highest level on record, inching closer to Bank of England39;s prediction of above 10 later this year. 

Worries about recession reared up again after UK inflation jumped to the highest level in 40 years, said Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Landsdown.

Investors expect the central bank will add to the four interest rate increases it has done since December to tame inflation.

The European Central Bank is set to hike rates in July, and the U.S. Federal Reserve has also embraced policy tightening, raising doubts about its impact on the global economic growth.

Lots of companies have succeeded in passing high cost to customers, keeping margins resilient. But worries are still lingering about how long consumers will continue to pay the price, said Streeter.

Shares rallied on Tuesday amid falling COVID19 cases in China fuelling…