LIVE MARKETS-Opening snapshot: European shares pull higher

* European stocks open slightly higher

* Indivior (Frankfurt: 2IVA.F - news) shares soar after co wins preliminary injunction

* M&A chatter lifts industrials

* Asian shares decline on soft China data

LONDON, July 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 Helen Reid. Reach her

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

OPENING SNAPSHOT: EUROPEAN SHARES PULL HIGHER (0721 GMT)

European shares have pulled slightly higher from a flat start as M&A talk lifts shares in

big industrial conglomerates Thyssenkrupp (IOB: 0O1C.IL - news) and Kone (LSE: 0II2.L - news) , while a preliminary injunction win against

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories has spurred Indivior's shares a huge 27 percent higher.

Trading is still cautious as the Q2 reporting season gets underway, while a busy political

schedule and the trade war overhang are also keeping investors on edge.

(Kit Rees)

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WHAT TO WATCH AT THE OPEN: DAX, INDIVIOR, DIALOG (0645 GMT)

The damage from weaker Chinese GDP numbers is set to spread to European shares after Asian

stocks fell on the data, piling further pressure on a market already bruised by the Sino (Dusseldorf: 1205802.DU - news) -U.S.

trade war.

Futures for Europe’s major benchmarks are flat to down 0.2 percent, with the DAX likely the

biggest faller as the most China-exposed of Europe’s economies.

Investors’ attention will begin to turn to Europe’s earnings season starting in earnest this

week, though Societe Generale (Swiss: 519928.SW - news) analysts highlighted this is also a “very political week” starting

today with top EU officials meeting the Chinese Premier, Trump holding a summit in Helsinki with

Putin, and a parliamentary vote on Brexit.

In company news Indivior is seen rising as much as 20 percent after the pharma firm won a

preliminary injunction against generic rival Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, while chipmaker Dialog

Semiconductor is indicated up 4 to 5 percent in pre-market after it upped its margin

expectations in results reported after the close on Friday.

Meanwhile Peugeot could see a small hit from the news that German authorities are

questioning its Oval division.

Also on the radar are Thyssenkrupp and Kone after a report over the weekend that the two

have held talks about a deal to merge their elevator operations.

(Helen Reid)

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FUTURES DECLINE AS WEAKER CHINA DATA WEIGHS (0618 GMT)

Futures are flat to 0.2 percent lower across the major European benchmarks as weaker Chinese

GDP data takes its toll on markets.

"With (Other OTC: WWTH - news) trade tensions still at the forefront of investor concerns, the economic data from

China assume an even greater level of importance than usual," writes Ian Williams, economics and

strategy research analyst at Peel Hunt.

In the UK, a parliamentary debate over Brexit will be a focus for markets as discord in the

leading Conservative party continues after two high-profile government resignations last week.

(Helen Reid)

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EARLY MORNING HEADLINE ROUND-UP (0552 GMT)

Among the morning news to watch today, reported merger talks between Thyssenkrupp and Kone

owners, results from Dialog Semiconductor (LSE: 0OLN.L - news) and Indivior winning an injunction against generic

rival Dr Reddy's.

In what Societe Generale analysts call a "mainly political week", investors will also be

keenly watching today's meeting between top European Union officials and the Chinese Premier on

trade, and the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki.

Here's your headline sweep:

Britain unveils "short and sharper" code for companies

Planemakers to kickstart Farnborough jetliner order battle

Thyssen and Kone owners held merger talks on elevator ops -paper

UK car insurance premiums see biggest annual fall since 2014-survey

German transport ministry confirms official hearing on Opel emissions

Ryanair flight loses cabin pressure, 33 hospitalised - German police

Indivior wins preliminary injunction against generic rival

Germany's Knorr Bremse to decide on IPO in September - Boersen-Zeitung

Norway oil, gas union widens six-day drilling rig strike

Dialog Semiconductor Eyes Higher-Than-Expected Q2 Profitability

Cassiopea Announces Positive Interim Analysis Phase 2 Results For Breezula

(Helen Reid)

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MORNING CALL: HESITANT OPEN FOR EUROPE AFTER ASIAN STOCKS DECLINE (5GMT)

European shares are in for a hesitant start to the week after Asian markets were hit by

weaker Chinese GDP growth figures, piling further pressure on to equities already weighed by the

Sino-U.S. trade dispute.

Official data showed China's economy grew 6.7 percent in the second quarter of 2018, cooling

from the 6.8 percent growth registered in each of the previous three quarters, driving a 0.5

percent dip in Shanghai stocks.

After their second straight week of gains, it'll be interesting to see whether European

stocks can hold up this week as the earnings season kicks off in earnest with investors' eyes

peeled for any trade war impact on companies.

Spreadbetters call the DAX 12 to 13 points higher at 12,562, the CAC 40 up 11 points at

5,440, and the FTSE 100 10 points lower at 7,659.

(Helen Reid)

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