Europe close: Markets stall as investors await key US newsflow

(Sharecast News) - European stocks finished Tuesday's session flat to slightly lower as investors scaled back their appetite for risk with a number of regional indices already at or close to record highs.

The Stoxx Europe 600 benchmark settled down 0.1% at 620.97 after hitting a new peak of 621.41 the previous session.

Frankfurt's DAX slipped 0.1% after hitting a three-week high on Monday; London's FTSE 100 and Milan's FTSE MIB both pulled back slightly after both hit their respective all-time highs over the past week; while the Cac 40 in Paris inched 0.1% higher, closing in on its own record reached in mid-January.

Financial markets across the continent were fairly subdued as investors awaited some key newsflow from the US over the coming days, including a raft of heavyweight corporate earnings, a delayed jobs report and some crucial inflation data.

"Tomorrow brings the first major data release of the week, with the belated jobs report providing the basis for a potential dovish shift in sentiment for the Fed," said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets. "Set against a backdrop of strong GDP, the combination of weak jobs and inflation figures could provide a goldilocks scenario where the Fed ease into an environment of strong economic growth."

Closer to home, the only major economic data release was a labour-market report from France, where the unemployment rate rose to 7.9% in the fourth quarter, up from 7.7% the previous quarter. This was ahead of the 7.8% expected by analysts and the highest level since the third quarter of 2021.

Market movers

Thule Group soared after the Swedish outdoor equipment maker posted better-than-expected results on margin gains.

Philips shares jumped after publishing 2025 earnings. The electronics giant returned to profit but also cut its sales outlook for this year.

Gucci owner Kering surged after the luxury good group said it expects a return to growth this year despite a fall in quarterly sales.

Ams-Osram gained as the electronics company said it would axe around 2,000 jobs, or more than 10% of its workforce, as part of a cost-cutting program and reported a narrowed loss for the fourth quarter.

BP fell as the energy giant suspended its quarterly share buyback as it moved to bolster its balance sheet amid weak oil prices.

Standard Chartered was lower after chief financial officer Diego De Giorgi announced his departure to Apollo after two years at the London-based bank.