European markets head for a higher open as investors look ahead to ECB meeting

Holly Ellyatt@HOLLYELLYATT

European stocks are expected to open higher Wednesday, with investors in the region looking ahead to the next meeting of the European Central Bank (ECB).

The U.K.’s FTSE index is seen opening 42 points higher at 8,274, Germany’s DAX up 88 points at 18,501, France’s CAC 40 up 46 points at 7,983 and Italy’s FTSE MIB 174 points higher at 34,491, according to data from IG.

Investors will be keeping an eye on earnings from Spanish clothing company Inditex. On the data front, final purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data for the euro zone in May, a measure of services and manufacturing activity in the single currency area, is due.

The ECB is widely expected to cut interest rates for the first time since 2019 when policymakers meet on Thursday, but investors will watch closely to see whether a slightly higher-than-expected euro zone inflation print released last Friday will affect the central bank’s decision-making.

In other news, Asia-Pacific markets were mixed overnight as investors assessed India’s election results after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party fell short of an outright majority in the lower house of parliament.

Nevertheless, Modi is set for a third term in power after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance secured 294 seats, more than the 272 needed for the coalition to form the government.

U.S. stock futures were near flat Tuesday night as investors geared up for private payroll data, with economists polled by Dow Jones anticipating the data will show private employers added 175,000 jobs in May.

Source : cnbc