European stocks tick higher as metal sell-off subsides; Publicis in focus.

European stocks inched higher on Tuesday, supported by a solid overnight close on Wall Street, as the recent sell-off in precious metals appeared to be short-lived.

By 03:05 ET (08:05 GMT), Germany’s DAX was up 0.8%, France’s CAC 40 added 0.4%, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 edged 0.1% higher.

Stabilizing metals markets lift investor sentiment.

Global markets—including European equities—have steadied after several days of heightened volatility, marked in particular by sharp declines in gold and silver prices late last week and over the weekend.

Precious metals rebounded on Monday, restoring some investor confidence and helping lift the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average by more than 500 points, or around 1%, on Wall Street.

Market sentiment also improved after U.S. President Donald Trump announced late Monday that the United States had reached a trade agreement with India, cutting tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50%.

The deal followed months of negotiations during which punitive tariffs had climbed as high as 50% and was widely viewed as a step toward normalizing trade relations.

Publicis draws investor attention.

Back in Europe, focus has returned to the quarterly earnings season, with a large number of major companies across the region scheduled to report results this week.

Publicis Groupe is in focus on Tuesday after a series of strong client wins helped the French advertising group deliver underlying fourth-quarter revenue ahead of expectations. The company generated €2.03 billion in free cash flow before working capital movements in 2025, up 10.6% from the previous year, and proposed a fully cash dividend of €3.75 per share, representing a 4.2% increase.

Elsewhere in France, asset manager Amundi posted a 6% rise in adjusted pretax income for 2025 to €1.86 billion, supported by record net inflows of €88 billion as it rolled out a new strategic plan aimed at driving growth through 2028.

In the Netherlands, Akzo Nobel reported a solid improvement in fourth-quarter margins compared with a year earlier, as the paints manufacturer contends with subdued demand while pursuing a potential merger with U.S. rival Axalta Coating Systems.

Attention is also on U.S. earnings later Tuesday, with results due from companies such as PayPal, Pfizer, and Marathon Petroleum, ahead of Advanced Micro Devices’ earnings after the close. Sentiment toward AI-related stocks remains fragile following poorly received results from Microsoft last week.

French consumer prices decline.

Data released earlier in the session indicated that inflation pressures remain subdued in France, the eurozone’s second-largest economy.

French consumer prices declined 0.3% month on month in January, while annual inflation stood at just 0.3%, undershooting expectations of 0.6%.

Attention now turns to the European Central Bank’s policy meeting later this week, where policymakers are widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at 2% for a fifth consecutive meeting.

ECB President Christine Lagarde may also be pressed on the implications of a stronger euro for inflation, after the single currency briefly climbed above $1.20 last week, marking its highest level since 2021. It has since retreated but remains more than 2% higher over the past two weeks.

Crude prices continue to edge lower

Oil prices edged lower on Tuesday, extending losses for a second straight session, as easing tensions between the United States and Iran reduced the geopolitical risk premium in crude markets.

Brent futures slipped 0.4% to $65.96 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.4% to $61.90.

Both benchmarks dropped more than 4% in the previous session after President Donald Trump said Iran was “seriously talking” with Washington, signaling a potential de-escalation with the OPEC member.

Further pressure came from reports that Iran and the U.S. are set to resume nuclear talks on Friday in Turkey, according to Reuters.

Oil prices were also weighed down by a firmer U.S. dollar, with the dollar index hovering near a more-than-one-week high, dampening demand from holders of other currencies.

Sources: Peter Nurse