LIVE MARKETS-Futures point to pull-back in European stocks

Jan 30 (Reuters) - Welcome to the home for real time coverage of European equity markets

brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Helen Reid. Reach her on

Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: helen.reid.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net

FUTURES POINT TO PULL-BACK IN EUROPEAN STOCKS (0710 GMT)

As expected futures have gapped significantly at the open - down 0.5 to 0.7 percent across

the board now. Looks like the risk-off mood across the Atlantic (Shanghai: 600558.SS - news) will sour today's trading in

Europe as well. The chipmakers and Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) suppliers will again be ones to watch, as will all

those cyclical sectors leading the rally year-to-date.

(Helen Reid)

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CORRECTION BECOMING INCREASINGLY LIKELY, SAYS GS (0656 GMT)

The S&P 500 has had the longest period since 1929 without a correction of more than 5

percent, Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS-PB - news) finds, saying a correction is overdue. The MSCI World has also entered

its longest period ever without a correction of more than 5 percent.

"As inflows into equities rise strongly alongside increasing optimism, the equity market

becomes more vulnerable to disappointments," GS writes.

They're staying bullish, though - seeing a sharp correction as more likely than a full-blown

bear market.

One interesting observation they make is that this year the S&P 500 and the VIX volatility

index have been rising together. "The increase in volatility amid a market rally may, in part,

reflect increasing risks, and may also reflect a bullish willingness to spend premium to add to

upside exposure."

GS recommends buying on dips, but would also buy hedges as protection.

If you're more of a glass half full kind of person, then you can keep looking at global

growth - running at above 5%, the strongest pace since 2010 - and global earnings - where

expectations are finally being revised up sharply.

(Helen Reid)

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SAP ANNOUNCES $2.4 BLN ACQUISITION, ALTICE TO FURTHER CUT SHARE CAPITAL (0636 GMT)

With (Other OTC: WWTH - news) tech a notable focus yesterday, and ahead of the U.S. giants reporting later this week,

all eyes will be on results from European firms in the sector to see how they stack up.

Germany's SAP (Amsterdam: AP6.AS - news) , Europe's top tech company, just announced a $2.4 billion

acquisition of U.S. cloud software company Callidus Software Inc (NasdaqGM: CALD - news) - a sweetener on 2017

results which came in at the lower end of market expectations.

The firm's guidance was in line with analysts' expectations - but we'll have to see what

they make of this purchase.

At the intersection of health and tech, Dutch firm Philips (Amsterdam: PHIA.AS - news) reported Q4 sales growth

in line with expectations.

Elsewhere in stocks to watch today there's telecoms and cable group Altice (Other OTC: ATSVF - news) which

is reducing its share capital to help improve returns while it restructures.

And it's a sad day for Volkswagen (IOB: 0P6N.IL - news) whose position as world's top-selling carmaker

was just nabbed by the Renault (LSE: 0NQF.L - news) -Nissan alliance.

(Helen Reid)

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MORNING CALL: TAKING CUE FROM WALL ST AND ASIA, EUROPEAN STOCKS TO FALTER (0618 GMT)

Good morning and welcome to Live Markets.

Spreadbetters are calling European stocks markedly lower after a weaker U.S. session spread

a somewhat more bearish mood to Asian trading as well.

A slide in Apple shares was the catalyst for a broad-based pull-back on Wall Street. The

tech stock fell 1.6 percent on a Nikkei report Apple will halve its iPhone X production target,

causing the Dow and the S&P 500 to suffer their biggest one-day declines in around 5 months.

Asian stocks then retreated from their record highs, while the dollar found some support as

U.S. bond yields rose.

Spreadbetters call the FTSE down 30 points at 7,641.1 points, the DAX 51 points lower at

13,273.2 points and the CAC 40 down 16 points at 5,505.4.

(Helen Reid)

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