European Equities: Futures Point Northwards with Geopolitics and COVID-19 in Focus

The Majors

It was a bearish day for the European majors on Tuesday. The CAC40 and the EuroStoxx600 fell by 0.68% and by 0.56% respectively, while the DAX30 slipped by 0.30%.

Market angst over tensions between the U.S and China weighed on risk sentiment through the session.

News of the U.S administration tightening the screw on Huawei hit the wires following the postponement of trade talks.

A continued rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases also left the European majors on the defensive.

The Stats

It was another particularly quiet day on the Eurozone economic calendar. There were no material stats to provide the majors with direction.

From the U.S

Building permits and housing start figures for July had a muted impact on the European majors later in the day.

The Market Movers

For the DAX: It was another mixed day for the auto sector on Tuesday. Continental rose by 0.22% to buck the trend on the day. BMW and Daimler fell by 0.22% and by 0.28% respectively, with Volkswagen ending the day down by 0.10%.

It was also a bearish day for the banks. Deutsche Bank slid by 1.40%, with Commerzbank declining by 0.64%.

From the CAC, it was a bearish day for the banks. Credit Agricole and Soc Gen slid by 1.43% and by 1.83% respectively. BNP Paribas saw a more modest loss of 1.12% on the day.

It was also another bearish day for the French auto sector. Peugeot and Renault fell by 0.13% and by 1.09% respectively.

Air France-KLM saw yet more red, declining by 0.76, with Airbus SE sliding by 3.09%.

On the VIX Index

A run of 4 consecutive days in the red came to an end for the VIX on Tuesday, marking just the 2^nd increase in 12-days. Partially reversing a 3.17% loss from Monday, the VIX rose by 0.75% to end the day at 21.51.

The S&P500 and NASDAQ rose by 0.23% and by 0.73% respectively, while the Dow slipped by 0.24%.

On the day, the U.S equity markets found support in spite of U.S – China tensions and the failure by U.S lawmakers to deliver a COVID-19 stimulus package.

Both the S&P500 and the NASDAQ hit new record highs, defying gravity in the wake of the COVID-19 meltdown.

The Day Ahead

It’s a relatively quiet day ahead on the Eurozone economic calendar. Key stats include the Eurozone’s finalized inflation figures for July.

The numbers are unlikely to have a muted impact on the European majors, however.

We can expect geopolitics, COVID-19 news, and any progress towards the COVID-19 stimulus package to remain the key drivers.

With the FOMC meeting minutes due out after the European close, there may be some apprehension late in the European session.

The Futures

In the futures markets, at the time of writing, the DAX was up by 26 points, with the Dow up by 23 points.

For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar.