LIVE MARKETS-Opening snapshot: European shares without direction

* European shares open mixed

* Trump to announce decision on Iran nuclear deal

* Oil prices ease after hitting 3-1/2 year highs

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

OPENING SNAPSHOT: EUROPEAN SHARES WITHOUT DIRECTION (0712 GMT)

European shares have opened without a clear direction with the STOXX 600 moving in and out

positive territory in early deals, as caution dominated ahead of President Donald Trump's

decision on whether to withdraw the United States from the Iran nuclear deal.

Here is your snapshot with Europe's main country indexes and, as you can see, there is not

much conviction around: the FTSE is up 0.3 percent while the DAX is down 0.1 percent.

At the single stock level, top STOXX movers were hearing aids firm William Demant (LSE: 0RGT.L - news)

and German postal and logistics group Deutsche Post DHL Group, down 8.7 and 6.2

percent respectively following disappointing updates.

Ambu (LSE: 0R4L.L - news) shares rose sharply for a second day, hitting a fresh record high, following solid

results released on Monday, while Shire (Xetra: S7E.DE - news) advanced nearly 5 percent after Japan's Takeda

agreed to take over the UK company for 46 bln pounds.

(Danilo Masoni)

*****

DON'T FORGET POWELL! (0619 GMT)

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is due to participate from 0715 GMT in a panel before

the Swiss National Bank (LSE: 0QKG.L - news) and International Monetary Fund.

His intervention will be closely watched as the rising dollar helped European shares close

at three-month highs yesterday as the dollar hovered around 4-months peak.

(Julien Ponthus)

*****

FUTURES RISE IN LONDON, DIP IN FRANKFURT (0608 GMT)

FTSE futures are currently trading in positive territory but it's not looking as good

elsewhere with the DAX set to open about 0.2 percent down.

Here's how futures are doing at 0606 GMT:

(Julien Ponthus)

*****

MORNING HEADLINES: IRAN DEAL AND COMCAST'S FIRE POWER DOMINATE (0558 GMT)

It should be announced after the end of trading in Europe today but Trump's decision on

whether he will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal will be on every investor's mind, especially

those with an interest in energy stocks as oil prices close to their 3-1/2 year highs.

Here's our latest on that front:

Another twist in the Sky (Frankfurt: 893517 - news) saga: U.S. cable operator Comcast (Swiss: CMCSA.SW - news) is asking investment banks to

increase a bridge financing facility by as much as $60 billion so it can make an all-cash offer

for the media assets that Twenty-First Century Fox has agreed to sell to Walt Disney (Swiss: DIS-USD.SW - news) .

Also on the M&A front, Virgin Money said that it received an 1.6 billion pounds all-stock

takeover offer from rival CYBG (Frankfurt: 42YA.F - news) and Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) is to sell stake in Canadian Natural for

about $3.3 bln

The earnings season is still on:

DSM's Q1 net profit doubles on high vitamin prices

Adecco Group (IOB: 0QNM.IL - news) sees revenue growing at 5-6 pct rate

Deutsche Post DHL confirms 2018 targets despite Q1 earnings miss

E.ON's Q1 profits beat estimates on energy retail boost

Axel Springer Q1 in line, confirms 2018 guidance

Munich Re Q1 net profit up 48 pct amid low payouts for major losses

Uniper (Swiss: UNIPE.SW - news) posts profit drop at Global Commodities segment

(Julien Ponthus)

*****

MORNING CALL: EUROPEAN SHARES SEEN BROADLY FLAT AT THE OPEN (0521 GMT)

European shares are seen opening broadly flat at the beginning of the session. Financial

spreadbetters expect London's FTSE to open 13 points higher at 7,580 points, Germany's DAX to

lose 6 points at 12,942 points and Paris' CAC to open flat at 5,531 points.

Investors will be bracing themselves for Trump's decision on whether to withdraw the United (Shenzhen: 000925.SZ - news)

States from the Iran nuclear deal as such a move could disrupt global oil supply.

Oil prices have just eased slightly this morning after hitting 3-1/2 year highs.

Asian stocks ended the session slightly up thanks notably to gains in technology stocks.

Wall Street ended in positive territory, boosted by Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) 's sixth straight day of gains.

(Julien Ponthus)

*****