BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks may open on a tepid note Monday as weak exports data from China underscored persistent pressures on manufacturers from the prolonged Sino-U.S. trade war.
China's exports shrank for the fourth consecutive month in November, although imports came in better than expected, suggesting that Beijing's stimulus efforts are working.
Closer home, Destatis is slated to issue Germany's foreign trade data later in the day. Exports are forecast to fall 0.3 percent and imports to drop 0.1 percent in October.
Sentix is scheduled to issue euro area investor confidence data for December. Economists expect the index to fall to -5.3 from -4.5 in November.
The U.S. Federal Reserve moves back into the spotlight this week, although the central bank is widely expected to highlight the economy's resilience and keep interest rates on hold in the range of 1.50 percent to 1.75 percent.
Asian markets edged up this morning, though the upside remained limited amid renewed growth and trade concerns.
Trade anxiety continues to play a key role in shaping investor sentiment, with top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow saying that a Dec. 15 deadline is still in place to impose a new round of U.S. tariffs on Chinese consumer goods.
Gold crept higher and the dollar held firm while oil prices eased but held near recent peaks after OPEC and its allies agreed to deepen output cuts.
U.S. stocks rallied on Friday after the latest jobs data topped expectations and a measure of consumer sentiment hit a seven-month high.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.2 percent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite jumped 1 percent and the S&P 500 added 0.9 percent.
Non-farm payroll employment surged up by 266,000 jobs in November after climbing by an upwardly revised 156,000 jobs in October. The jobless rate edged down to 3.5 percent from 3.6 percent in October.
European markets ended on a fairly buoyant note on Friday on the back of upbeat U.S. jobs data and continued optimism about U.S.-China trade deal.
The pan European Stoxx 600 rallied 1.2 percent. The German DAX gained 0.9 percent, France's CAC 40 index added 1.2 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 climbed 1.4 percent.
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