European equities opened the fourth quarter lower, with the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 each falling nearly 1% as rising global bond yields and elevated crude prices extended September's losses. Most sectors declined, although technology stocks advanced in line with global peers after Micron Technology issued an upbeat outlook. Infineon gained 1.7% and ASML Holding added 0.8%, while Pandora fell more than 4% after its CEO said U.S. demand was set to stabilize at a low level. HSBC, Novartis, Shell, LVMH and Nestle also traded lower. The move followed earlier reports of energy-driven inflation concerns, faster-than-expected September inflation in France, Italy and Spain, and expectations that the European Central Bank could maintain restrictive monetary policy for longer.