Live Markets: A busy day for European food and retail

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Spruengli AG

16/01/2018 07:47

* European stocks futures open higher 
    * UK inflation due at 0930 GMT 
    * Asian shares close higher 
    * Euro, oil near 3-year highs 
    * U.S. markets resume trading after public holiday 
 
    Jan 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 Julien Ponthus. Reach him on 
Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: julien.ponthus.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net 
     
    A BUSY DAY FOR EUROPEAN FOOD AND RETAIL (0734 GMT) 
    We're getting a flurry of updates in the food and retail sectors today. 
    Hugo Boss  BOSSn.DE  reported quarterly sales growth driven by footfall in its own store 
network. Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli  LIPS.S   LISN.S  also posted higher sales.  
    In the UK, bakery chain Greggs  GRG.L  reported a rise in Christmas sales and expects to 
meet profit expectations in 2017. One trader sees Greggs' shares rising slightly.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN1PB0B7  
    JD Sports  JD.L  also had a strong Christmas and expects annual profit to be ahead of 
expectations. JD shares only saw a moderate gain in 2017 after four years of stronger growth, 
but perhaps today's update can push them higher.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1PB2JI  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1PB2KL 
    (Kit Rees) 
    ***** 
     
    FUTURES POINT UP (0705)  
    European stocks futures have opened slightly higher, and while London, Paris and Frankfurt 
seem set to open in positive territory, the picture is less clear with the pan-European market 
and the Euro STOXX 50.   
    Here's the snapshot:   
  
    (Julien Ponthus) 
    ***** 
     
    MISPLACED OPTIMISM ON UK INFLATION? (0645)  
    Consensus is that headline inflation in the UK edged down from the 3.1 percent peak it 
reached in November and therefore back within 3 percent. The answer is due at 0930 GMT but some 
analysts have voiced a few "what-ifs?".  
    "One can't help feeling that this optimism might well be misplaced", wrote CMC Markets 
analyst Michael Hewson, noting that airfaires and fuel prices might have misbehaved in December. 
    On the other hand and looking a bit further ahead, ING argues that slower than expected wage 
growth could give the BoE room for manoeuvre.  
    "We caution that a 2018 rate hike still isn't a given - although admittedly it will be a 
close call", the Dutch bank's analysts wrote.     
    (Julien Ponthus)  
    *****        
     
    MORNING CALL: EUROPE SEEN OPENING SLIGHTLY HIGHER (0615 GMT) 
    Good morning. Financial spreadbetters see European shares rising slightly, with Germany's 
DAX  .GDAXI  and Britain's FTSE 100  .FTSE  expected both to climb 8 points and France's CAC 
 .FCHI  1 point. 
    Asian shares closed higher, erasing early modest losses while the euro stood near a 3-year 
peak on rising expectations that the European Central Bank could pare its monetary stimulus. 
U.S. markets will reopen later today after being closed for a public holiday.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1PB1RT 
    (Julien Ponthus) 
 
    <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
European Stocks Futures    http://reut.rs/2DulHl3 
opener    http://reut.rs/2Dz6rmW 
Carillion    http://reut.rs/2D1OKeR 
Midday Snapshot    http://reut.rs/2D4sjpb 
value    http://reut.rs/2D6pMee 
Euro zone shares vs euro    http://reut.rs/2D8dXEx 
UK vs Euro Zone Banks    http://reut.rs/2DwzU0V 
EPS upgrades    http://reut.rs/2DzTXLV 
closing snapshot    http://reut.rs/2D6khfR 
opener    http://reut.rs/2DBRsZG 
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> 
 (Reporting by Danilo Masoni, Helen Reid, Kit Rees and Julien Ponthus) 
 ((Danilo.Masoni@TR.com; +39-02-66129734; Reuters Messaging: 
danilo.masoni.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; On Twitter https://twitter.com/damasoni)) 
 
Keywords: EUROPE STOCKS/