BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks are set to open lower on Wednesday after Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at two bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq in retaliation for an American drone strike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Asian shares remain lower, though markets came off from their day's lows after reports of no major loss in the attack.
Hours after the missile attack on U.S troops, President Donald Trump tweeted that casualty and damage assessments are ongoing but added, 'So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well-equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.'
The dollar edged lower while oil prices rose over 1 percent on fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.
Asian currencies turned volatile while gold pared gains after climbing nearly 2 percent to vault over the $1,600 ceiling for the first time in nearly seven years.
Economic confidence survey data from euro area and factory orders figures from Germany are due later in the session, headlining a busy day for the European economic news.
Across the Atlantic, investors look ahead to the release of ADP private payroll figures for an early hint about the Labor Department's more closely watched monthly jobs report due on Friday.
U.S. stocks ended modestly lower overnight as Middle East tensions overshadowed encouraging data on trade balance and services sector activity.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.4 percent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite edged down marginally and the S&P 500 eased 0.3 percent.
European markets closed mostly higher on Tuesday after falling in the previous two sessions amid a flight to safety.
The pan European Stoxx 600 rose 0.3 percent. The German DAX gained 0.8 percent, while France's CAC 40 index and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 finished marginally lower.
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