Diplomat Digital Foreign Desk
European equities were mostly flat on Tuesday as investors monitored central bank signals and corporate developments across the region. The pan-European Stoxx 600 slipped 0.14% by late morning in London, while major regional indices showed mixed movement.
London’s FTSE 100 dipped 0.08%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.56% and Spain’s IBEX 35 edged 0.06% lower. Germany’s DAX rose 0.29%, alongside modest gains of 0.17% in Italy’s FTSE MIB index.
Shares of EssilorLuxottica — the Ray-Ban maker partnering with Meta on smart eyewear — dropped sharply by 4.8% after Google unveiled plans to launch its first AI-powered glasses in 2026, signaling intensifying competition in the expanding wearable-tech market.
Investors are now awaiting a key monetary policy update from the U.S. Federal Reserve. Markets currently assign an 87% probability of a quarter-point rate cut at the Fed’s meeting ending December 10, according to CME’s FedWatch tool. A shift in U.S. policy could influence decisions across Europe, where several central banks — including the Swiss National Bank, Bank of England, European Central Bank, Sweden’s Riksbank and Norway’s Norges Bank — are scheduled to hold rate meetings later this month.
In Brussels, the European Union announced an agreement to scale back corporate sustainability reporting requirements, exempting most companies from compliance rules in an effort to reduce regulatory pressures. Danish Minister for European Affairs Marie Bjerre said the move aims to strengthen competitiveness and create a more supportive business environment.
Meanwhile, U.S.–China technology tensions remained in focus following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump. He stated that Nvidia would be permitted to sell its H200 AI chips to qualified buyers in China — but only if the U.S. government receives 25% of the revenue from those sales.
Analysts were also watching auto and heavy-vehicle manufacturers after Deutsche Bank cut forecasts for Volvo and Daimler Truck, citing a shrinking U.S. truck market and expectations of heightened competition. Volvo shares fell 2.4% during trading.
Wind energy stocks gained following a U.S. federal ruling overturning Trump’s earlier ban on new wind projects. Danish manufacturer Vestas rose 0.1% after initially climbing further, while Orsted advanced more than 0.3%.
Elsewhere, Magnum Ice Cream made its debut on the Amsterdam stock exchange after its separation from Unilever. The stock recorded slight gains during early trading.
Market participants are now awaiting fresh economic indicators including German export figures, Dutch inflation data and U.K. retail trends.
Asian markets closed mostly lower, while U.S. stock futures were last seen trading flat.
