BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The European markets continued to fluctuate between small gains and losses Tuesday and most ended the day with losses. The markets have been struggling to find direction since last week.
Investors continue to monitor the situation in Spain, where Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has given the leader of Catalonia until Thursday to clarify whether he was withdrawing his plan to declare independence from Spain.
The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index weakened by 0.08 percent. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks increased 0.04 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, added 0.03 percent.
The DAX of Germany dropped 0.07 percent and the CAC 40 of France fell 0.03 percent. The FTSE 100 of the U.K. declined 0.14 percent and the SMI of Switzerland finished lower by 0.05 percent.
Europe's new car registrations declined in September, data from European Automobile Manufacturers' Association showed Tuesday. Passenger car sales fell 2 percent year-on-year to 1.43 million in September. The decline reversed a 5.6 percent rise in August.
Daimler climbed 0.72 percent in Frankfurt and BMW added 0.41 percent, while Volkswagen lost 0.80 percent. Renault gained 0.61 percent in Paris, while Peugeot fell 1.22 percent.
In Frankfurt, Infineon Technologies climbed 3.06 percent. The chipmaker said it has corrected a flaw in the encryption used for secure products.
Laboratory equipment maker Sartorius sank 5.65 percent after cutting its full-year revenue and profit guidance.
In Paris, Airbus jumped 4.83 percent after it agreed to acquire majority stake in Bombardier Inc.'s C Series jet program.
Rémy Cointreau dropped 1.30 percent despite the wine & spirits firm reporting higher sales in the first half of its 2017/18 financial year.
Dairy giant Danone advanced 1.95 percent. The company backed its FY17 view after reporting a 16.6 percent increase in consolidated sales for the third quarter.
In London, Pearson soared 7.32 percent after the publishing and education company raised its profit forecast.
President Energy surged 6.38 percent. The upstream oil and gas company focused primarily in Argentina announced that it has already banked the proceeds from its first delivery of oil from the Puesto Flores Field.
Smiths Group shed 1.01 percent after appointing John Shipsey as its new CFO.
Merlin Entertainments tumbled 15.94 percent after like for like revenue performance for the 40 weeks ended 7 October was flat on 2016 due to difficult summer trading in Midway London and European theme parks as a result of the series of terror attacks and unfavourable weather.
Credit Suisse rose 1.16 percent in Zurich amid reports that activist investor RBR Capital has launched a campaign to break up the investment bank.
Eurozone inflation held steady in September, as initially estimated, final data from Eurostat showed Tuesday. Inflation came in at 1.5 percent in September, the same rate as seen in August.
Germany's economic confidence continued to improve in October, survey data from the Mannheim-based Centre for European Economic Research/ZEW showed Tuesday.
The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment rose to 17.6 in October from 17.0 in the previous month. Nonetheless, the indicator still remained below the long-term average of 23.8 and the expected level of 20.
UK inflation increased in September to the highest since early 2012, data from the Office for National Statistics showed Tuesday. Inflation rose to 3 percent in September from 2.9 percent in August. The rate came in line with expectations. Inflation was last higher in March 2012.
British house price inflation accelerated in August to the strongest level in eight months, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed Tuesday. The house price index climbed 5.0 percent year-over-year in August, faster than the 4.5 percent rise in July, which was revised down from a 5.1 percent increase reported earlier.
U.S. import and export prices both increased by more than anticipated in the month of September, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Tuesday. The report said import prices climbed by 0.7 percent in September after rising by 0.6 percent in August. Economists had expected import prices to increase by 0.5 percent.
The Labor Department also said export prices advanced by 0.8 percent in September after climbing by an upwardly revised 0.7 percent in August. Export prices had been expected to rise by 0.4 percent compared to the 0.6 percent increase originally reported for the previous month.
After reporting a notable decrease in U.S. industrial production in the previous month, the Federal Reserve released a report on Tuesday showing production rebounded by slightly more than expected in the month of September.
The report said production rose by 0.3 percent in September after sliding by 0.7 percent in August. Economists had expected production to edge up by 0.2 percent compared to the 0.9 percent drop originally reported for the previous month.
Homebuilder confidence in the U.S. has unexpectedly seen an improvement in the month of October, according to a report released by the National Association of Home Builders on Tuesday. The report said the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index surged up to 68 in October after dropping to 64 in September. Economists had expected the index to come in unchanged compared to the previous month.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX