European markets faced a downturn on Tuesday, ending an eight-session winning streak. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed down by 0.52%, with most sectors retreating. Industrials led the losses, declining 1.08%, while mining stocks fell 0.78% after disappointing Chinese trade data.

 

Germany's DAX managed to close slightly above the flatline, but France's CAC 40 dropped 1.14%, leading regional losses. Despite Tuesday's decline, the Stoxx 600 has risen 1.63% in December so far, maintaining its upward momentum for the month.

 

Shares of Delivery Hero fell by 10% following the Dubai Stock Exchange debut of its Middle Eastern subsidiary, Talabat. The IPO raised $2 billion, but Talabat's shares fell from 1.7 UAE Dirham to 1.49 UAE Dirham by the session's close. Germany’s Commerzbank saw its stock rise nearly 3%, buoyed by the resignation of Jutta Dönges from the supervisory board. Meanwhile, the U.K.'s Ashtead Group experienced a significant drop of over 11% following the announcement of a primary listing move to New York and a profit warning. TeamViewer shares fell 6% after revealing a $720 million acquisition of employee experience software maker 1E.

 

Investors are awaiting the U.S. consumer price index (CPI) report on Wednesday, which could influence Federal Reserve interest rate decisions at the December 17-18 meeting. The headline inflation forecast for November is a 0.3% rise and a 2.7% year-on-year increase. In China, trade data showed a 3.9% contraction in imports for November, the sharpest drop since September 2023, and 6.7% export growth, below the anticipated 8.5%.

 

In the U.K., job postings saw a 24% year-on-year decline as of November 22, influenced by new government policies such as higher National Insurance contributions, an increased minimum wage, and enhanced workers' rights legislation. SSE announced plans for its subsidiary SSEN Transmission to invest at least £22 billion in grid infrastructure between 2026 and 2031, aligning with the U.K.’s goal to decarbonize its electricity grid by 2030.

 

Shell settled a lawsuit with Greenpeace U.K., agreeing to a £300,000 payment to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and a legally binding agreement barring future protests near its North Sea platforms. Allianz raised its financial targets, promising increased shareholder returns and revenue growth, while Stellantis and CATL announced a joint €4.1 billion investment in a European battery factory in Spain, set to start production in late 2026.

 

Looking ahead, the FTSE 100 is expected to open 38 points lower at 8,315, the DAX is predicted to drop 76 points to 20,274, and the CAC 40 is projected to decline 31 points to 7,454. In the U.S., the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite posted slight gains of 0.1% and 0.3%, respectively, while the Dow Jones slipped by 0.2%.