LIVE MARKETS-What we're watching ahead of the open
* European stocks futures open slightly higher
* Wall St gains, but Facebook (NasdaqGS: FB - news) sees more pain
* U.S. Fed policy statement due 1800 GMT
LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity
markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Kit Rees. Reach her on
Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: kit.rees.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net
WHAT WE'RE WATCHING AHEAD OF THE OPEN (0747 GMT)
Trading will be cautious ahead of the US Fed policy statement later this evening, with
European stock futures trading slightly higher.
Hermes, which makes $10,000-plus Birkin handbags, saw its margins hit a record in 2017,
while interestingly Kingfisher (Frankfurt: 812861 - news) beat forecasts on the back of growth at Screwfix – home
improvement stores still seem to be holding their own against online retail.
Facebook’s shares saw a further slide on Tuesday as it faces questions from U.S. and
European lawmakers over reports of data misuse, and sentiment around tech firms continues to
sour.
Latest company news headlines:
French luxury group Hermes says margins hit record 34.6 pct
Airbus to name new CEO at the end of the year
Vivendi’s chairman loses battle for Ubisoft
Kingfisher says UK market 'more uncertain' as profit edges higher
GKN (Frankfurt: 694194 - news) hits back at Melrose (LSE: 136541.L - news) criticism of planned Dana deal (RNS statement)
Mothercare (Other OTC: MHCRF - news) says lenders agree to defer testing of financial covenants
Carpetright (Other OTC: CGHXF - news) scrambles to secure emergency funds; seeks at least 10 mln stg - Sky News
Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) sees downstream annual organic free cash flow of $6 bln to $7 bln by 2020
Norwegian Air raises $168 mln as expansion, fuel costs weigh
EU to unveil plan to tax turnover of big U.S. tech firms
Price wars heat up as Lyxor launches low cost ETFs (Shenzhen: 395013.SZ - news) in Europe
Fingerprint Cards (LSE: 0RGY.L - news) denies giving price sensitive info to analysts
French fashion firm SMCP says profit margins to grow further in 2018
AB InBev (Brussels: ABIT.BR - news) sets climate, water goals to keep fizz in beer sales
Norway's Telenor (LSE: 0G8C.L - news) in 2.8 bln eur asset sale to Czech investor PPF (Shenzhen: 300258.SZ - news)
Ferrexpo (Other OTC: FEEXF - news) raises 2017 dividend, sees better demand this year
(Kit Rees and Tom Pfeiffer)
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EUROPEAN STOCKS FUTURES EDGE HIGHER (0710 GMT)
Stocks futures have confirmed that a slight tick higher is on the cards for European
equities this morning, though the FTSE could come under pressure from a stronger pound and a
drop in the copper price, which could weigh on the miners.
Here's your futures snapshot:
(Kit Rees)
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EARNINGS WATCH: FOCUS ON LUXURY (0646 GMT)
Here's a round up of European firms which are giving earnings updates today, with BMW (EUREX: BMWE.EX - news) and
Hermes among ones to watch.
Back in February Hermes saw some weakness in its shares after reporting a slowdown in Q4
sales growth due to stocks of its handbags running low (more a sign of popularity than anything
else), so it will be interesting to see whether demand from younger shoppers and Asia has fed
through into earnings.
ISHG.DE Q4 2017 Intershop Communications AG Earnings Release
IVUG.DE Q4 2017 Ivu Traffic Technologies AG Earnings Release
TRIA.PA Q2 2018 Trigano SA Corporate Sales Release
SBOE.VI Full Year 2017 Schoeller Bleckmann Oilfield Equipment AG Earnings Release
SKISb.ST Q2 2018 SkiStar AB Earnings Release
TRN.MI Full Year 2017 Terna Rete Elettrica Nazionale SpA Earnings Release
VSCk.DE Q4 2017 4Sc AG Earnings Release
V6CG.DE Q4 2017 Viscom AG Earnings Release
FPEG_p.DE Q4 2017 Fuchs Petrolub SE Earnings Release
ESP.L Full Year 2017 Empiric Student Property PLC Earnings Release
OHBG.DE Q4 2017 OHB SE Earnings Release
RHIM.L Full Year 2017 RHI Magnesita NV Earnings Release
HRMS.PA Full Year 2017 Hermes International SCA Earnings Release
HABG.DE Q4 2017 Hamborner Reit AG Earnings Release
ECT.AS Q4 2017 Eurocastle Investment Ltd Earnings Release
BMWG.DE Q4 2017 Bayerische Motoren Werke AG Earnings Release
(Kit Rees)
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MORNING CALL: EUROPEAN STOCKS SEEN OPENING HIGHER (0626 GMT)
Good morning. European stocks are seen rising today, building on yesterday's gains as
investors await the result of the U.S. Fed's policy meeting.
Financial spreadbetters expect Britain's FTSE to open 13 points higher, Germany's DAX to
gain 45 points and France's CAC to advance 10 points.
Overnight, China and Hong Kong stocks enjoyed gains, while a rise in energy stocks supported
Wall Street.
The focus could once again be on tech stocks after Facebook's shares slid a further 2.6
percent on Tuesday as it faces questions from U.S. and European lawmakers over reports political
consultancy Cambridge Analytica may have improperly gained access to data on 50 million users.
(Kit Rees)
(Reporting by Danilo Masoni, Helen Reid, Kit Rees and Julien Ponthus)