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Italian police officers stand in front of a shattered Gucci store window during a protest by far-right activists against the government restriction measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, in downtown Turin, on October 26, 2020.
marco bertorello/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
European stocks struggled on Tuesday, as investors balanced generally stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings results with worries about how rising coronavirus cases are leading to tougher restrictions on activity.
After a 1.8% tumble on Monday, the Stoxx Europe 600 SXXP, -0.70% dropped 0.7%, with decliners from apparel makers including LVMH Moët Hennessy MC, -1.39% and from insurers including Allianz ALV, -1.55%.
The French CAC 40 PX1, -1.50% lost 1.5% as the German DAX DAX, -0.80% and U.K. FTSE 100 UKX, -0.22% also lost ground.
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average YM00, +0.02% rose 8 points after a rough 650-point downturn on Monday for the blue chips DJIA, -2.29%.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told her Christian Democratic Union party colleagues the coronavirus situation is threatening, according to published reports, as Italians protested on Monday night after strict measures were introduced there, including the 6 p.m. closures of bars and restaurants. In the Paris region, COVID-19 patients represent 67% of intensive care capacity.
“For the second time, Europe has turned into an epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. The partial curfews and other restrictions to contain the spread of the virus are casting a dark shadow over the near-term outlook,” said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank.
Third-quarter results have handily beaten analyst estimates on both sides of the Atlantic. Companies in the Stoxx 600 are expected to report a 28% drop in third-quarter earnings per share, compared with the 34% downturn expected at the end of June.
HSBC Holdings HSBA, +6.52% rallied 7%, as the U.K.-based, China-focused bank topped analyst estimates with a third-quarter profit of $2 billion. HSBC said it would decide next year on making a “conservative” dividend payment. Banco Santander SAN, +2.72% gained 3% as the Spanish bank also topped estimates.
BP BP, +1.82% rose 2% as the oil giant’s adjusted profit topped estimates, though revenue was shy of expectations.
Capgemini CAP, +3.49% climbed 4% as the IT consultant, pressured on Monday after SAP’s profit warning, reported stronger-than-forecast third-quarter revenue SAP, +2.45%.
