By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- European stock markets swung between
gains and losses on Tuesday as investors assessed the escalating
violence in Iraq, solid European car-sales data and
higher-than-expected U.S. inflation numbers.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index rose 0.2% to 346.32, after losing
0.5% in the prior session amid escalating violence in Iraq from
Sunni militants. Read: Obama to deploy 275 combat-ready troops to
Iraq
Iraq was also in the spotlight on Tuesday, as U.S. President
Barack Obama considered airstrikes against the rebels and told
congressional leaders he will send troops to the country to protect
the American embassy, according to Bloomberg.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Iraq's
Shiite-dominated government stepped up its defense of Baghdad,
while at least 28 insurgents were killed in an attack on the city's
police station.
"I think some of the volatility is geopolitically related, but
again we seem to be looking to shrug off macro-concerns and the
market looks in good shape to push higher," Atif Latif, director of
trading at Guardian Stockbrokers, said in emailed comments.
Car makers posted some of the biggest gains in the pan-European
index after data showed the European auto industry continued to
recover in May for a ninth straight month, although car
registrations grew at the slowest pace in six months. In Paris,
Renault SA --whose group sales jumped 19% last month--put on 0.9%,
while Peugeot SA advanced 0.4%.
And in Frankfurt, shares of Daimler AG gained 0.8% and
Volkswagen AG climbed 0.6%.
On a more downbeat note, shares of A.P. Moeller-Maersk AS
slumped 5.7% after the Danish shipping company said its Maersk Line
along with French CMA CGM SA and Switzerland-based Mediterranean
Shipping Co. had abandoned plans for an alliance.
The broader European markets briefly dipped into negative
territory in the afternoon after U.S. inflation data showed
consumer prices rose more than expected last month. Analysts noted
that this might mean the Federal Reserve will have to raise rates
sooner than expected and this weighed on U.S. markets early in the
trading day. However, U.S. indexes erased losses later in the
session.
German investor-confidence data was also in focus. The ZEW
economic sentiment indicator dropped to 29.8 points in June from
33.1 points in May, marking a sixth straight month of declines.
Consensus was for a 35 reading.
The assessment of the current economic situation in Germany was
more optimistic, rising by 5.6 points to 67.7 points.
Germany's DAX 30 index traded 0.4% higher at 9,918.12, buoyed by
the benchmark's car makers. Siemens AG (SIEGY) rose, up 0.2% after
the industrial conglomerate just before the close on Monday said it
had officially bid to buy the gas turbine business of French rival
Alstom SA . The bid from Siemens and partner Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries Ltd. values Alstom at EUR14.2 billion ($19.25 billion),
according to Dow Jones Newswires.
Alstom shares dropped 2% on Tuesday.
France's CAC 40 index added 0.5% to 4,530.80, while the U.K.'s
FTSE 100 index advanced 0.1% to 6,759.32.
The investing mood in the U.K. was partly lifted by
weaker-than-expected inflation data, which eased pressure on the
Bank of England to hike interest rates. Inflation fell to 1.5% in
May from 1.8% in April, missing consensus estimates of a 1.7%-1.8%
print. The pound (GBPUSD) slipped after the data, trading at
$1.6964, down from $1.6983 late Monday.
"It will go some way to abating the aggressive calls for a rate
hike from the Bank of England this year," said Alex Edwards, head
of the corporate desk at UKForex, in a note.
BOE Governor Mark Carney last Thursday said the first
interest-rate hike could come sooner than markets currently expect,
triggering several banks to change their expectations for a rate
increase by the end of this year.
On Wednesday, the Monetary Policy Committee releases minutes
from the June meeting, which will be closely scrutinized for other
clues on monetary tightening.
Among notable stock movers in London, shares of Whitbread PLC
added 2.3% after the hotel and restaurant operator reported a 6.9%
rise in first-quarter comparable sales, boosted by strong customer
demand at both its Premier Inn and Costa Coffee divisions
More must-reads from MarketWatch:
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