BP Share News (BP.)

* European shares tread water
* STOXX 600 flat after slightly negative start
* JPM raises euro-zone stocks to "overweight"
* ECB's Draghi emphasises need for fiscal push
* Asian shares mostly flat

Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters
stocks reporters and anchored today by Josephine Mason. Reach her on Messenger to share your
thoughts on market moves: rm://josephine.mason.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net

MAKING THE CASE FOR A GERMAN FISCAL EXPANSION (1045 GMT)
Goldman has weighed in on the debate about fiscal stimulus and while it agrees with a
widespread view that a shock would be needed to convince Germany to open the purse strings, it
argues that the case for Europe's No. 1 economy to do so is compelling.
Their case for a sizeable German fiscal expansion levers on three three key points.
1. Germany has significant fiscal space: "Germany could expand fiscal policy by about 1% of
GDP in
2020 without seeking an exception from its 'debt brake'rule"
2. Sizeable effects on German growth: "ECB is unlikely to respond to a German fiscal
expansion with
tighter policy. Moreover, fiscal 'multipliers' tend to be larger in low-debt economies and
during recessions."
3. Welcome spillover effects: "Germany is a very open economy and trade patterns suggest
that
stronger German demand would provide greatest support to EMU member states that most need it,
notably Italy."

Meanwhile, ECB's Draghi has once again emphasised the need for fiscal policy, saying in an
interview with the Financial Times that that was more urgent than before.
His comments have helped lift euro-zone bond yields to one-week highs, which in turn is
underpinning shares in the battered banking sector, last up 0.8%.

(Danilo Masoni)
*****

EUROPE: BUY OR NOT TO BUY (0859 GMT)
The prospect of central bank stimulus is already having effect.
JPMorgan has upgraded euro zone equities to overweight and back in July
BlackRock did the same - both citing expectations of a dovish ECB.
That's surely positive for stocks in the region but macro data continues its negative run
and many investors look unconvinced, as continued fund outflows indicate.
"Over the past four weeks, we have seen some signs of funds buying U.S. equities at the
expense of European equities," say HSBC strategists.
They add European equity funds have seen over $100 bln outflows YTD with their proprietary
analysis indicating global funds are rotating allocations out from Europe into the US.
"Investors' negative outlook towards Europe can be attributed to slowing economic
growth...," they say. "With Germany in outright recession and high economic policy uncertainty
in the UK, we believe investors' outlook is unlikely to change soon."
This chart shows that the gap between increasingly positive U.S. economic surprises
and increasingly negative euro zone ones has widened to its highest since
May 2018.



(Danilo Masoni)
*****

OPENING SNAPSHOT: TECH DRAGS, SPAIN SHINES (0735 GMT)
European stocks open slightly lower, mainly dragged down by tech and telco stocks, as
reports of Washington's plan to delist Chinese companies from U.S. exchanges raises fresh
worries in U.S.-China trade row.
Chip stocks are top underperformers tracking the sell-off in the U.S. Philadelphia
Semiconductor exchange on Friday. Meanwhile, Spanish stocks are steadily rising this
morning after the blue-chip index's IBEX underperformance this year.
Among major single stock moves, Glaxosmithkline is rising 2% after encouraging trial
results from its cancer therapy, niraparib. KPN is sliding 2% after the Dutch telco
dropped appointment of Dominique Leroy as CEO.

(Thyagaraju Adinarayan)
*****


MIXED PICTURE IN EUROPE (0650 GMT)
European stocks are expected to end the month and quarter on a slightly weak note amid
renewed concerns about the U.S.-China trade spat after a report that Washington is considering
delisting Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges. Stock futures are pretty mixed, with
Paris futures down 0.1% and Madrid up 0.2%.
A rise in German retail sales in August has helped ease some worries that a slower pace of
manufacturing would hurt consumer spending in Europe's top economy.
In corporate news, Kloeckner shares are down more than 4% in pre-market trade
after a local newspaper report that talks over a potential steel tie-up with ThyssenKrupp
collapsed.
In other dealmaking, Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto, has cancelled plans
for the sale or floatation of its Canadian iron ore business, following unsuccessful attempts to
find buyers, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
KPN shares are seen down 5% after Dominique Leroy, the Belgian telecommunications
executive who was slated to move the Dutch company, has been dropped as candidate to take the
top job due to an investigation into a share sale. Leroy is under investigation for her sale of
shares in Proximus, the company she was leaving.
Shell is seen under pressure after it says it sees negative impact from foreign
exchange in Q3 and a net charge of $700 million to $850 million in Q3, while BP may fall
after a report CEO Bob Dudley is preparing to step down from the oil major.

Here are some early headlines:
Novartis says Kisqali boosts survival in breast cancer patients
Italy investigates wife of Eni's CEO in Congo graft probe
Results of GSK and AstraZeneca trials may widen ovarian cancer drug use
EQT buys German fibre optic firm Inexio; source values deal around $1.1 bln
Roche extends Spark offer again as regulatory review drags on
Sunrise cuts rights issue to 2.8 bln Sfr in push to buy Liberty Global's UPC
Rio Tinto scraps plans for Canadian iron ore unit sale, floatation - WSJ
France blames XL Airways collapse on Oslo aid, appeals to EU
Italy's Atlantia picks KPMG, Ramboll and SGS to conduct audit on units involved in probe

Nestle, P&G say they will miss 2020 deforestation goals
Evotec And Indivumed Reach Milestone In Joint Drug Discovery Collaboration
KPN drops Leroy as CEO candidate amid investigation into share sale

(Josephine Mason)
*****


EUROPE ENDING Q3 ON LACKLUSTRE NOTE (0528 GMT)
European stocks are expected to end the month and quarter largely on a slightly lacklustre
note amid fresh worries about tensions between China and the United States.
IG financial spreadbetters expect London's FTSE to open 4 points lower at 7,423, Frankfurt's
DAX to open 10 points lower at 12,371, and Paris' CAC to open 7 points lower at 5,633.
Chinese markets, which will shut for the rest of the week for national holidays, were
slightly lower overnight after a report on Friday that the U.S. may limit Chinese company
listings on its stock exchanges fueled the U.S.-China trade worries ahead of the critical
October negotiations.
Dust appears to have settled in the United States though, with Wall Street futures
indicating a higher open later.
Closer to home, transatlantic trade ties face renewed disruption this week when global
arbiters are expected to grant the United States a record award allowing it to hit European
imports with billions of dollars of tariffs in a long-running aircraft subsidy dispute.

The pan European index and euro-zone benchmark closed last week at a one-week high,
but notched up their first weekly drop in six as macroeconmic data renewed concerns about the
health of the euro-zone economy and the U.S. impeachment probe of President Trump rattled
investors.
They are on track for a more than 3% rise this month and their third straight quarterly
gain, although the pace of growth has slowed substantially from the double-digit percentage
gains in Q1.

(Josephine Mason)
*****


(Reporting by Danilo Masoni, Joice Alves, Josephine Mason, Julien Ponthus and Thyagaraju
Adinarayan)