LIVE MARKETS-Opening snapshot: Plus500 in freefall, another Swiss IPO

* European stocks slip at end of hesitant week

* Plus500 plunges 29 pct after revenue slump

* Peers IG Group, CMC Markets down 3.7 to 4.3 pct

* Pets at Home down 13.6 pct after share placement

* Rubis also falls 6.4 pct on placement

April 12 - 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: PLUS500 IN FREEFALL, ANOTHER SWISS IPO (0745 GMT)

Subdued start for European indices taking their cue from Asia and ahead of the start of the

U.S. corporate earnings season with JP Morgan to go first later today.

In European corporate news, shares in retail-focused trading platforms are sliding after

Plus500's revenue plunge. Plus500 slumps 30 percent, while peers IG Group and CMC Markets are

down 3 to 4 percent.

"Given the level of global political and economic news, financial markets were surprisingly

subdued in the period, which reduced the number of trading opportunities for customers," Plus500

CEO Asaf Elimelec said.

Not much has changed so far in the second quarter either, the pan-European Stoxx 600 has not

risen or fallen more than half a percent in the last six trading days. And the trend continues:

it's down 0.2 percent today.

But Switzerland has another IPO this week after Alcon: Stadler Rail jumps 11 percent on its

market debut on the SIX Swiss Exchange.

Eutelsat tops the Stoxx 600, rising 5 percent, after Berenberg upgrades to "buy."

(Thyagaraju Adinarayan)

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WHAT'S ON THE RADAR FOR THE OPEN: PLUS500 PLUNGE, SALAD DEALS (0646 GMT)

European futures slipped slightly on Friday as hesitant trading continued ahead of the

hotly-anticipated U.S. earnings season, with JP Morgan and Wells Fargo kicking off proceedings

later in the day.

On the company news front, results from Plus500 and Software stole the spotlight.

Plus500 is likely to plunge 25 to 40 percent, traders said, after revenue at the online

trading platform sank to more than a fifth of that a year ago as trading volumes fell, which it

attributed to lower market volatility.

Germany's Software is up 3.7 percent in pre-market after it raised its 2019 outlook and

reported Q1 results.

Mitie shares are seen falling around 3 percent after the UK competition watchdog warned

Rentokil’s already completed takeover of the company’s pest control unit might restrict choice

and lead to higher prices for customers.

Danone, meanwhile, could get a slight boost (around 1 percent, traders say) from the sale of

its U.S. organic salad business Earthbound Farms to California-based Taylor Farms.

Britain’s Pets At Home could tumble after the Canada pension plan investment board sold 54.3

million shares in the company. Rubis also placed 5.09 million shares and it was indicated down 4

percent.

(Helen Reid)

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EUROPEAN FUTURES LACKLUSTRE, SOFTWARE, SANTANDER, STADLER RAIL IN FOCUS (0617 GMT)

Futures have opened down slightly with investors likely to stick to this sideways movement

until U.S. bank earnings deliver the first important data point of the Q1 earnings season.

There's not much on the company news side of things in Europe, but another IPO in

Switzerland after Alcon earlier this week could keep traders busy. Stadler Rail is valued at 3.8

billion francs ($3.79 billion) ahead of its debut on the SIX Swiss Exchange.

And the market is abuzz with excitement and debate after Uber unveiled its IPO prospectus

with a warning it may never make a profit.

In results, Germany's Software is gaining in pre-market after it raised its 2019 outlook.

And in dealmaking news, Santander has launched an offer to buy the 25 percent stake it

doesn't yet own in its Mexican unit.

Trading platform Plus500's quarterly revenues and number of active customers tumble

(Helen Reid)

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HESITATION IN EUROPE AS U.S. BANK EARNINGS LOOM (0539 GMT)

European stocks are expected to edge slightly up this morning, but the main event is really

later in the day when JP Morgan and Wells Fargo report earnings, thus kicking off the crucial

U.S. earnings season.

Asian shares turned lower overnight as trepidation ahead of the start of the earnings season

and underlying anxiety over the global growth outlook eclipsed some reassuring U.S. economic

data.

Financial spreadbetters expect London's FTSE to open 13 point higher at 7,431, Frankfurt's

DAX to open 2 points higher at 11,937 and Paris' CAC to open 3 points higher at 5,489.

(Helen Reid)

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