LONDON — European stocks rose slightly on Thursday as investors continued to monitor geopolitical tensions in eastern Europe, while digesting a slew of corporate earnings reports.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index added 0.2% in early deals, with autos and household goods each gaining 1% while travel and leisure stocks shed 0.6%.
The U.S. on Wednesday accused Russia of adding 7,000 troops to the 150,000 already stationed at the Ukrainian border, branding as “false” the Kremlin’s claims that it had begun a partial withdrawal of its military presence.
European markets have been attuned to developments in Ukraine in recent days, selling off sharply on Monday as a Russian invasion appeared imminent. A meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels concludes on Thursday.
Global investors are also reacting to the latest meeting minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve, published Wednesday, which showed officials set plans in motion to raise interest rates and unload the trillions of dollars of bonds on the central bank’s balance sheet.
It was a busy morning for earnings in Europe, with Airbus, Nestle, Standard Chartered, Commerzbank, Orange, Reckitt Benckiser, Schneider Electric and Kering among those reporting.
Shares in Asia-Pacific were mixed overnight as investors monitored the geopolitical situation, while U.S. stock futures dipped slightly, with earnings and the Fed policy outlook also on the agenda.
Subscribe to CNBC PRO for exclusive insights and analysis, and live business day programming from around the world.
Read More:investors track earnings, geopolitical tensions
2022-02-17 07:07:05
