European shares hold ground as investors assess earnings; focus on Fed, tariff updates

European shares were little changed on Tuesday as investors assessed a spate of corporate earnings and monitored potential tariff moves, while awaiting the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision later this week.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index was flat at 537.35 points as of 0711 GMT.

Other regional indexes were mixed.

Investors’ attention is fixed on whether the Sino-US trade tensions will ease after China last week said it was evaluating an offer from Washington to hold talks over tariffs.

However, the lack of concrete details on any deals between the US and its partners has kept investors on edge, especially as Trump announced a new slate of tariffs.

Trump, on Sunday, announced a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the US and a day later said he intends to announce pharmaceutical tariffs over the next two weeks.

In that light, the US Fed’s policy announcement on Wednesday garners increased importance. While the central bank is expected to keep rates unchanged, investors will be cued in for comments on the impact of tariffs on economic growth.

European shares edge lower as investors await tariff updates

In Europe, April’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data for France, Germany, the UK and the euro zone is expected later in the day.

Among individual stocks, Vestas rose about 5% after the wind turbine maker reported an unexpected operating profit for the first quarter.

Philips fell 1.4% after the Dutch healthcare technology company cut its profit margin forecast for 2025. Continental rose 2.8% after the German car parts maker reported higher-than-expected earnings.