LIVE MARKETS-A busy day for European food and retail

* European stocks futures open higher

* UK inflation due at 0930 GMT

* Asian shares close higher

* Euro, oil near 3-year highs

* U.S. markets resume trading after public holiday

Jan 16 (Reuters) - Welcome to the home for real time coverage of European equity markets

brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Julien Ponthus. Reach him on

Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: julien.ponthus.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net

A BUSY DAY FOR EUROPEAN FOOD AND RETAIL (0734 GMT)

We're getting a flurry of updates in the food and retail sectors today.

Hugo Boss (IOB: 0Q8F.IL - news) reported quarterly sales growth driven by footfall in its own store

network. Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli also posted higher sales.

In the UK, bakery chain Greggs (Stuttgart: 41G1.SG - news) reported a rise in Christmas sales and expects to

meet profit expectations in 2017. One trader sees Greggs' shares rising slightly.

JD Sports also had a strong Christmas and expects annual profit to be ahead of

expectations. JD shares only saw a moderate gain in 2017 after four years of stronger growth,

but perhaps today's update can push them higher.

(Kit Rees)

*****

FUTURES POINT UP (0705)

European stocks futures have opened slightly higher, and while London, Paris and Frankfurt

seem set to open in positive territory, the picture is less clear with the pan-European market

and the Euro STOXX 50.

Here's the snapshot:

(Julien Ponthus)

*****

MISPLACED OPTIMISM ON UK INFLATION? (0645)

Consensus is that headline inflation in the UK edged down from the 3.1 percent peak it

reached in November and therefore back within 3 percent. The answer is due at 0930 GMT but some

analysts have voiced a few "what-ifs?".

"One can't help feeling that this optimism might well be misplaced", wrote CMC Markets (LSE: CMCX.L - news)

analyst Michael Hewson, noting that airfaires and fuel prices might have misbehaved in December.

On the other hand and looking a bit further ahead, ING argues that slower than expected wage

growth could give the BoE (Shenzhen: 000725.SZ - news) room for manoeuvre.

"We caution that a 2018 rate hike still isn't a given - although admittedly it will be a

close call", the Dutch bank's analysts wrote.

(Julien Ponthus)

*****

MORNING CALL: EUROPE SEEN OPENING SLIGHTLY HIGHER (0615 GMT)

Good morning. Financial spreadbetters see European shares rising slightly, with Germany's

DAX and Britain's FTSE 100 expected both to climb 8 points and France's CAC

1 point.

Asian shares closed higher, erasing early modest losses while the euro stood near a 3-year

peak on rising expectations that the European Central Bank could pare its monetary stimulus.

U.S. markets will reopen later today after being closed for a public holiday.

(Julien Ponthus)

(Reporting by Danilo Masoni, Helen Reid, Kit Rees and Julien Ponthus)