Stock markets were mixed Tuesday as traders awaited earnings from Wall Street titans and US trade talks, with just over a week before the deadline to avert steeper tariffs.
Negotiations between Washington and key trading partners remained in focus ahead of the August 1 deadline to avoid US president Donald Trump鈥檚 sky-high tariffs.
While the Trump administration has said that several deals were close, just three have been struck so far.
鈥榃orries over the fate of the EU-US trade deal weighed on investors鈥� minds鈥� said Deutsche Bank managing director Jim Reid.
鈥楾he lack of concrete progress has continued to give investors pause,鈥� he added.
Frankfurt and Paris stock markets both fell in early afternoon trading.
London was flat and UK gilt yields rose after official data showed that Britain borrowed more than expected in June due to soaring debt interest payments.
Attention also turns this week to earnings from some of the world鈥檚 biggest names, including Tesla, Google-parent Alphabet, Intel and Coca-Cola.
The companies鈥� guidance will be closely watched as investors try to gauge market sentiment in light of Trump鈥檚 trade war.
鈥楨xpectations聽for the earnings season include accelerated profit growth for major US technology companies in the second half of the year,鈥� said Jochen Stanzl, chief market analyst at CMC Markets.
In Asia, Hong Kong pushed on with its advance Tuesday, hitting its highest close since late 2021.
The index has gained around 25 per cent this year thanks to a rally in Chinese tech firms and a fresh flow of cash from mainland investors.
Shanghai also advanced.
Tokyo dipped after an early rally fizzled out as investors returned from a long weekend to news that prime minister Shigeru Ishiba鈥檚 ruling coalition lost its majority in Japan鈥檚聽upper house elections Sunday.
Ishiba鈥檚 vow to stay in office helped stocks and the yen in opening exchanges but observers warned the government鈥檚 tenure remained fragile.
That followed a largely positive day on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished at new records Monday.
In company news, shares in British Gas owner Centrica rose over four per cent in London after it announced its 15-per cent stake in new nuclear power plant Sizewell C.
Premium Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprungli saw its shares shed seven per cent after reporting a decline in net profit, despite raising its 2025 sales target.