European equities steadied on Wednesday, with a weak start to the second quarter reporting season from the autos and luxury sectors denting sentiment, but technical support levels put a lid on losses in thin and jittery summer holiday trading.
Burberry Group was the biggest faller among blue chips, shedding 7.4 percent and dragging down other luxury goods stocks such as French rival LVMH, after the maker of check-lined raincoats reported a slowdown in sales growth, hit by its performance in China.
There was also bad news for carmakers, with a cut in sales forecast from Renault, and for industrials, with a profit warning from US engine maker Cummins hitting European companies, including Fiat Industrial and Aggreko.
"People are getting concerned about the health of earnings as markets are very sensitive to profit warnings," said James Butterfill, global equity strategist at Coutts.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 closed flat at 1,039.12 points, recovering earlier losses after finding firm technical support at the 100-day moving average around 1,033.
Some investors were also unwilling to chase the market too low ahead of the US Federal Open Market Committee minutes, due after the European close, which have the potential to boost risk appetite if they hint at a third round of quantitative easing. The EuroSTOXX 50 ended a volatile session up 0.2 percent at 2,246.23 points, faring better as it excludes UK-listed Burberry and several of the biggest industrial fallers.
Technical levels kept the index trapped and volatile as volumes continued to thin for the summer holidays, with just 69 percent of average 90-day daily volumes passing through on the euro zone benchmark.
"It's caught between a rock and a hard place at the moment," said Phil Roberts, chief European technical Strategist at Barclays, highlighting support at the 21-day moving average around 2,214-5 with strong trend line support below, weighed against strong resistance levels around 2,324 points. "I would be slightly more bearish than bullish but it's not an aggressive call. I don't think the market is going to be in a mood to sell lower until at least the 21 day support has gone."
Among the regions, Spain outperformed, adding 1.2 percent, as investors cheered new austerity measures which were welcome by the European Union. With the EuroSTOXX 50 still down nearly 20 percent over the past 12 months - against a broadly flat showing for the US S&P 500 - some investors are starting to try and pick the bottom.
"If investors can take a deep breath and look beyond the macroeconomic and political news flow, today's valuations could be seen as an excellent long-term buying opportunity," Philip Dicken, head of European equities at Threadneedle Investments, said in a release, recommending cashing in on the weaker euro through European companies with international earnings.
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