LIVE MARKETS-What's on the radar: Reckitt Benckiser and German carmakers

Feb 18 - 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

WHAT'S ON THE RADAR: RECKITT BENCKISER AND GERMAN CARMAKERS (0745 GMT)

With Presidents' Day in the U.S. taking Wall Street out of the picture, trading in Europe

was likely to be more muted on Monday though the deluge of company results continued.

Fresh from touching their highest level in four months on Friday, European stocks were set

to gain further ground as investors bet more progress would be made in U.S.-China trade talks

continuing in Washington this week.

Futures for the main benchmarks were up 0.1 to 0.2 percent as company results also looked,

on the whole, good.

UK-listed consumer goods firm Reckitt Benckiser (Xetra: A0M1W6 - news) was expected to rise 2 percent after

reporting higher than expected Q4 sales growth, helped by improvements in both its health and

home and hygiene businesses.

Results from French car parts maker Faurecia (Swiss: EO.SW - news) would likely boost the stock by around 2

percent, traders said, after the firm said it hoped to outperform the market this year, though

it warned of negative auto production growth.

German carmakers Daimler (IOB: 0NXX.IL - news) , Porsche, and BMW (EUREX: BMWE.EX - news) were seen falling 2 percent after data from China

showed car sales fell for a seventh straight month in January. Investors in the auto sector are

on tenterhooks after the U.S. Commerce Department sent its report on national security and car

imports to President Trump, setting the stage for possible tariffs.

Dealmaking continued apace with valve maker Spirax-Sarco saying it’s in talks to buy

France’s Thermocoax, and bottling company Coca-Cola HBC buying Serbian confectionary business

Bambi.

British education company Pearson (Xetra: 858266 - news) also said it agreed to sell its U.S. K12 (Frankfurt: 3KA.F - news) courseware

business for $250 million as it shifts focus from textbooks to digital.

Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) in UK defence firm BAE Systems (LSE: BA.L - news) could be hurt by a Financial Times report that

Germany’s arms ban to Riyadh would prevent it supplying some parts for the Saudis’ Eurofighter

planes. The stock was indicated down 1-2 percent by traders.

Wirecard (IOB: 0O8X.IL - news) shares were climbing 4-5 percent in pre-market after German market regulator BaFin

banned the establishment or increase of short positions in the shares.

(Helen Reid)

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EUROPEAN STOCK FUTURES RISE AS WASHINGTON TALKS EYED (0719 GMT)

Futures are up this morning with a less busy trading day ahead: Wall Street will be shut for

President's Day, and there are no big data releases on the horizon either.

Societe Generale (Swiss: 519928.SW - news) economists reckon the key market-moving data this week will be euro area

business sentiment surveys.

"After pronounced weakening, we expect generally slightly improved readings, crucial to

supporting our view that growth will improve," they write.

Minutes from the Fed and the ECB will also be an important focus, while on trade "markets

will also keep an eye on the intensified U.S.-China trade negotiations for any signs of a

breakthrough."

(Helen Reid)

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COMPANY NEWS TO WATCH: FAURECIA, DEUTSCHE BANK (IOB: 0H7D.IL - news) , WIRECARD (Swiss: WDI.SW - news) (0658 GMT)

In early morning results and company news, there's no shortage of interesting tidbits. In a

boost to Wirecard shares, German regulator BaFin banned investors from establishing or

increasing net short positions on the stock.

Auto parts maker Faurecia struck an upbeat tone, saying it hopes to outperform the market in

2019 while cautioning it sees auto production in general to be slightly negative this year.

The headline harvest so far:

Chinese conglomerate HNA (Shanghai: 600221.SS - news) cut its stake in Deutsche Bank to 6.3 percent.

Car (HKSE: 0699-OL.HK - news) parts group Faurecia hopes to outperform uncertain market in 2019

Swiss Re (LSE: 0QL6.L - news) completes 1 billion franc share buyback

HNA cuts stake in Deutsche Bank to 6.3 percent - SEC (Shanghai: 603988.SS - news) filing

Airbus warns of no-deal Brexit, says has spent tens of millions preparing

Germany's BaFin Bans Wirecard Short Positions

UK concludes it can mitigate risk from Huawei equipment use in 5G - FT

Vapiano Reports Deviation From 2018 Forecast

DIA (EUREX: 13086668.EX - news) to hold shareholder meeting in March

(Helen Reid)

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EUROPE'S RALLY SET TO CONTINUE AHEAD OF WASHINGTON TRADE TALKS (0625 GMT)

The impressive rally which pushed European shares to touch their highest in four months on

Friday is set to continue with new trade talks between the U.S. and China this week in

Washington helping investors' risk appetite.

Meanwhile, trouble could be looming for autos: the U.S. Commerce Department sent a report on

Sunday to President Trump on car imports and national security which could unleash steep tariffs

on imported cars and car parts. The department would not disclose any details of the report, but

Trump has 90 days to decide whether to act upon the recommendations.

Financial spreadbetters expect London's FTSE to open 2 points higher at 7,239, Frankfurt's

DAX to open 22 points higher at 11,322 and Paris' CAC to open 8 points higher at 5,162.

Asian share markets bounced broadly on Monday as investors dared to hope for both progress

at Sino (Dusseldorf: 1205802.DU - news) -U.S. trade talks in Washington this week and more policy stimulus from major central

banks.

(Helen Reid)

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(Reporting by Helen Reid, Danilo Masoni, Julien Ponthus)