The European markets are seen opening lower Tuesday, as investors take cues from the Dow average which shed 103 points Monday to close below the 10,000 mark for the fist time since November on euro zone's debt woes. However, the Dow futures are now moving up by 22 points, which may help limit the losses.
Across Asia, stocks turned in a mixed performance on Tuesday, while crude oil futures traded weak below $72 a barrel on concerns the recovery in fuel demand may stall in the United States. In the New York session on Monday, crude oil for March delivery settled up by $0.70 at $71.89 per barrel, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar, geopolitical disputes and forecasts for unusually cold weather this week across key heating fuel consuming regions in the U.S.
In economic news, retail sales in the united Kingdom were up just 1.2 percent year-over-year in January, the British Retail Consortium said on Tuesday, marking the weakest annual gain in 15 years. Retail sales had risen a revised 3.2 percent on year in December.
Separately, thirty-two percent of surveyors in the United Kingdom expect house prices to rise rather than fall, the January issue of the Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors' survey revealed on Tuesday. That was higher than the 27 percent that analysts had been expecting following the 30 percent total in December.
RICS said new enquiries from potential buyers fell for the first time in 14 months in January, while the number of new sellers entering the market fell for the first time in seven months. However the group expects home prices to bounce-back in the near-term. Looking ahead, German Current Account and U.K. trade data due later in the day may attract investor attention.
In corporate news, UBS AG reported fourth quarter net profit attributable to UBS shareholders of 1.205 billion Swiss Francs, versus a loss of 9.56 billion Swiss Francs in the same period last year. Diluted earnings per share was CHF 0.31, versus loss of CHF 2.99 in the prior year period.
Novartis AG said it has gained exclusive rights to develop and market Debio 025, or alisporivir, a potential first-in-class antiviral agent currently in Phase IIb development for the treatment of hepatitis C.
Europe's property firm Unibail-Rodamco SE said its annual net loss in 2009 widened to 1.47 billion euros from 1.12 billion euros a year earlier.
Xerium Technologies, Inc., in a filing with the U.S. Securities regulator, disclosed that it has reorganized its paper machine clothing and roll covers operations in Europe in an effort to streamline its management structure.
The European markets rose for the first time in four days on Monday, as mining and energy stocks advanced after metals and crude oil prices rebounded.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of pan-European blue chips closed 0.74% higher, while the narrower DJ Stoss 50 index rose 1.07%. Around Europe, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 index rose 0.62%, France's CAC 40 index advanced 1.22% and Germany's DAX index added 0.93%.
On Wall street, the major averages finished Monday's session sharply lower, as uncertain global economic outlook and a lack of significant triggers forced most of the traders to stay away on the sidelines. The Dow fell 1.04%, the Nasdaq declined 0.7% and the S&P 500 shed 0.89%.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.