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STOXX 600 down 0.2%
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Euro zone business growth at 9-month high
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Takeover talk lifts Electrolux
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U.S. stock futures inch lower
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SO FAR, SO GOOD - EARNINGS SEASON AT HALF-WAY POINT (1051 GMT)
We have arrived at the mid-point of European earnings season, and so far, so good.
Numbers are looking healthy, but outlooks are more cautious. Financials boast one of healthiest EPS trends, according to Morgan Stanley equity strategists.
More companies are beating than missing expectations for both sales and EPS in what is shaping up to be "another good quarter", they write in a note.
"Financials and energy are now enjoying the best of this earnings season when assessing both the breadth and size of EPS beats," the MS strategists say, adding that cyclical sectors such as industrials, consumer discretionary and materials are showing weak EPS trends despite their relative price outperformance.
Net sales beats stand at 29% while a 22% net beat for consensus EPS numbers is in line with the previous two seasons.
Markets are more tolerant of a miss than in the previous two quarters, according to Morgan Stanley data. The average one-day price reaction to an EPS beat is +119bps versus -213bps for a miss, which Morgan Stanley says is less than in the past two quarters.
STOXX: FINANCIALS AND CONSUMERS DRAG (0950 GMT)
Shares in Europe kicked off the day on the back foot with losses across financials, consumer discretionary and tech dragging the STOXX 600 down as much as 1%, although strength in defensives helped limit initial losses.
The pan-European equity benchmark index was last down just 0.2%, off initial lows receiving a helping hand from upbeat PMI business activity surveys and thanks to gains in the utility sector following strong update from French power company Engie.
A rally in Electrolux following Italian media reports about a potential takeover interest from China also helped offset sectoral losses elsewhere. Financials remained the biggest drag to the STOXX, as a cautious forecast from HSBC weighed and as Credit Suisse shares fell more than 5% to new record lows.
A gauge of euro zone equity volatility hit its highest in two months before paring some of those gains.
EUROPE SIGNALS LOWER (0731 GMT)
European shares were set to open a touch lower on Tuesday amid lingering concerns over monetary policy. Ukraine is also back in focus ahead of a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin to set out the aims for the second year of his invasion.
EuroSTOXX50, DAX and FTSE futures were last down around 0.3% following losses in Asia where the prospect of the Federal Reserve staying hawkish for longer weighed on sentiment. S&P contracts pointed to a weaker start for Wall Street too, following a long weekend.
In corporate news, HSBC quarterly profit surged 92% as rising rates swelled net interest income, although its Hong Kong shares fell as a cautious outlook left investors pondering whether the rates boost may already have peaked.
In France, energy company Engie reported a sharp increase in 2022 profits thanks to higher natural gas and power prices, while payment services company Worldline posted a stronger-than-expected Q4 organic sales growth. Both shares were seen rising at the open.
Also in focus are flash PMIs for the euro zone, UK and Germany and France for more clues on the strength of a pickup in economic activity across the region.
CAST AWAY (0652 GMT)
After a sputtering start to the week for the equities market, flash PMI data from Eurozone, UK and Germany will likely give some sort of direction for traders. Investors have put on their risk-off hats so far, with the dollar ascendant on Tuesday, having erased its year to date losses and as Asian equities flirt with six-week lows.
With U.S. markets set to reopen after Monday's holiday, investor focus will be squarely on minutes from the Feb. 1 Federal Reserve meeting, scheduled to be released on Wednesday.
At that meeting, the central bank raised interest rates by 25 basis points and said disinflation was underway. Resilient economic data for the past month has brought back investor fears that the Fed will have to hike more and stay higher for longer.
Minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia's policy meeting in February showed the board abandoned all thought of pausing rate hikes in the face of sticky inflation and signalled more hikes would be needed in the months ahead.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin was due to make a speech on Tuesday setting out aims for the second year of his invasion of Ukraine. It comes just a day after U.S. President Joe Biden's surprise visit to Ukraine where he walked the streets of Kyiv and promised to stand with Ukraine as long as it takes.
In the corporate world, global miner BHP Group reported a dour first half earnings but pinned hopes on a rebound in demand from China, its biggest customer.
Europe's largest bank HSBC Holdings unveiled plans for a special dividend and share buybacks as rising interest rates swelled net interest income.
Earnings from Walmart later in the day will shed light on American consumers' buying habits in the face of rising expenses.
Key developments that could influence markets on Tuesday:
Economic events: Flash PMIs for Germany, France, UK and Eurozone
