FRANKFURT: European stocks slipped on Tuesday, as investors navigated geopolitical and global interest-rate cut uncertainties, while German company SAP’s strong outlook boosted tech stocks and helped cushion some losses.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed 0.2% lower, paring early losses that saw the index hit a two-week low.
A spike in yields on benchmark German bunds also pressured equities, with utilities leading sectoral declines.
The STOXX has hit record highs multiple times this year, but has retreated further from the milestone as investors priced in stagnating economic growth and bleak Chinese demand.
The International Monetary Fund forecast manufacturing powerhouse Germany will see zero growth this year and will weigh on broader euro zone performance.
Key upcoming triggers include the November US elections, doubts over the pace of Federal Reserve rate cuts and the ongoing geopolitical tensions which have boosted the safe-haven US dollar and gold.
Traders see the European Central Bank lowering borrowing costs by about 130 basis points by the end of 2025 as ECB President Christine Lagarde said inflation in the currency union may fall back to 2% quicker than previously thought.
Amid the gloom, SAP’s shares rose 2.1%, lifting the broader tech sector by 0.9%, after the software company increased its full-year targets on strong cloud business in the third quarter.
The stock cushioned some of the German DAX’s losses, given its 15% weightage on the index.
“Although the tone was resolutely bullish about the mid to long term growth opportunity, including from (artificial intelligence), a degree of prudence into year-end makes sense in an uncertain macro backdrop,” analysts at BofA global research said in a note.
Switzerland’s main index slid 0.8%, with Logitech at the bottom with a 6.5% drop. The stock had initially surged 3% after increasing its full-year forecast.
Saab topped the STOXX index with an 8.9% rise, after the military-hardware producer said its quarterly operating earnings were bigger than expected and confirmed its annual outlook.
Randstad, the world’s largest employment agency and therefore crucial to assess job-market conditions, reported quarterly profit slightly above expectations, sending its shares up 2.3% to touch a 2-1/2-year high.
Norway’s largest bank DNB rose 5.7% after topping its third-quarter profit forecast.
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