Anna 
In the early hours of Tuesday, European stock markets exhibited a mixed pattern as investors awaited further insights from central bank policymakers amidst the concluding corporate earnings season.
At 03:05 ET (08:05 GMT), Germany’s DAX index traded marginally higher by 0.1%, while France’s CAC 40 experienced a 0.1% decline, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 fell by 0.1%.
ECB Speakers Awaited
With no major corporate earnings taking the spotlight in Europe, market activity is expected to remain subdued as investors eagerly anticipate speeches from several European Central Bank (ECB) officials, including President Christine Lagarde.
Despite a sharp retreat in Eurozone inflation to 2.9% in October from the previous month’s 4.3%, ECB members are actively dispelling speculations of imminent rate cuts following the central bank’s unprecedented streak of 10 consecutive interest rate hikes last month. Bank of Spain Governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos emphasized on Monday that it was “premature” to discuss the possibility of interest rate cuts, a sentiment echoed by his French counterpart, Francois Villeroy de Galhau, who suggested that rates have reached a plateau expected to persist for the next few quarters.
Fed Minutes in Spotlight
Across the Atlantic, investor attention turns to the release of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s last meeting minutes later in the day, seeking cues on the direction of interest rates in the world’s largest economy. While expectations for the Fed to maintain unchanged rates in December are widespread, speculation is growing about potential interest rate cuts starting in the summer of 2024.
Additionally, in the corporate arena, Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), a leader in artificial intelligence chips, is set to release earnings with expectations of another robust revenue forecast.
