European Shares Seen Flat To Higher At Open

(RTTNews) - European stocks are seen opening flat to slightly higher on Tuesday as investors watch the latest developments on trade talks and await cues from some big U.S. tech companies.

Four of the "Magnificent Seven" companies - Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms and Microsoft - are due to report their quarterly results this week.

Other big-name companies like Coca-Cola, Visa, Eli Lilly, Chevron and Exxon Mobil are also due to report their quarterly results.

On the trade front, media reports suggest that the Trump administration will reduce auto tariffs on foreign parts to support domestic manufacturers. An announcement in this regard is expected later in the day.

"President Trump is building an important partnership with both the domestic automakers and our great American workers," Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a statement.

The revised approach may lower duties on foreign parts used in domestically produced cars while keeping tariffs on fully imported vehicles.

Sino-U.S. tensions remain on radar after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a CNBC interview put the responsibility for reaching a trade agreement on China, adding that "they sell five times more to us than we sell to them".

Bessent also said that he has an "escalation ladder" in his back pocket, which he hopes not to use in the future.

Elsewhere, China's top diplomat has warned countries against caving into U.S. tariff threats after reports emerged that Asian economies like South Korea, Japan, and India are taking the lead in trade talks with Trump's administration.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that concession and retreat will only make the "bully" more aggressive.

In economic news, trading later in the day may be impacted by reaction to reports on U.S. consumer confidence and job openings.

The week ahead will see reports on first quarter GDP, non-farm payroll numbers, and Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge - Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index.

Asian stocks were mixed in muted trade, with Japanese markets closed for a public holiday.

Regional losses, if any, remained capped as senior Chinese officials outlined plans to support jobs and help exporters and hinted at the possibility of more stimulus.

Gold resumed its downtrend after showing a significant move back to the upside on Monday.

The dollar headed towards its largest monthly fall for years while oil extended steep overnight losses on demand concerns.

U.S. stocks fluctuated before ending mixed overnight ahead of a busy week of earnings releases and economic reports.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slid marginally while the S&P 500 closed marginally higher - rising for the fifth day in a row and marking its longest winning streak since November last year. The narrower Dow added 0.3 percent.

European stocks closed mostly higher on Monday as investors parsed a flurry of merger and acquisition news.

The pan European STOXX 600 gained half a percent, rising for a fifth straight session.

The German DAX inched up 0.1 percent and France's CAC 40 rose half a percent.

The U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended flat with a positive bias, rising for the eleventh consecutive session and notching its best winning streak in over 5 years.