European stocks head for broadly flat open as markets await Fed decision

Market Overview - European stocks are expected to open flat to higher, with the U.K.'s FTSE index slightly up, Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 down by 0.2%, and Italy's FTSE MIB just below the flatline [1] Federal Reserve Meeting - The U.S. Federal Reserve's two-day meeting begins on Tuesday, with a 96% chance of a 25 basis-point rate cut anticipated by the market [2] - Traders are looking for signals from Fed Chair Jerome Powell regarding another potential rate cut at the final meeting of the year in December due to concerns about a weakening labor market [2] Economic Data and Geopolitical Concerns - The Fed is facing an economic data blackout due to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, with limited recent data available, including last week's inflation report [3] - Geopolitical issues, particularly the U.S.-China trade dispute, are also significant for investors, with a meeting scheduled between President Trump and President Xi Jinping in South Korea to address trade tensions [3] Trade Negotiations - Both the U.S. and China appear to be in a conciliatory mood, having agreed on a framework for a potential trade deal that includes topics such as rare earths export restrictions, soybean purchases, and TikTok [4] - President Trump expressed optimism about reaching a deal with President Xi during their upcoming meeting at the APEC Summit [4] Earnings Reports - Key earnings reports in Europe on Tuesday include Novartis, BNP Paribas, Capgemini, Air Liquide, Iberdrola, ASM International, and Logitech [5] - HSBC, Europe's largest lender, reported third-quarter profits that exceeded expectations [5]