"European Stocks" European stocks opened slightly lower, Ericsson rose over 7%

European stocks opened slightly lower, with the market awaiting the release of Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data from Europe, the US, and Japan. The German PMI exceeded expectations, while the French services and overall PMI fell short of expectations.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell by 0.33 points or less than 0.1%, closing at 608.53 points; the UK FTSE 100 index rose by 27 points or 0.3%, closing at 10,177 points; the French CAC 40 index fell by 11 points or 0.1%, closing at 8,138 points; the German DAX index fell by 7 points, closing at 24,848 points; the Spanish IBEX 35 index fell by 56 points or 0.3%, closing at 17,607 points; the Italian FTSE MIB index fell by 214 points or 0.5%, closing at 44,877 points.

In individual stocks, German chemical giant BASF reported preliminary results showing a decline in profits last year, with its stock price falling by 1.8%. Telecommunications equipment company Ericsson exceeded earnings expectations, raised its dividend, and announced a $1.7 billion share buyback, with its stock price rising by 7.8%. Additionally, luxury goods company Burberry and shipping company Maersk fell by 2.7% and 2.9%, respectively, while semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASM fell by 2.3%.

In US stock futures, the Dow Jones futures fell by 9 points to 49,549 points; the S&P 500 index futures remained flat at 6,945 points; the Nasdaq 100 index futures fell by 36 points or 0.1%, closing at 25,622 points.

In the Asia-Pacific stock markets, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets rose by 0.3% and 0.8%, respectively; the Hong Kong stock market rose by 0.4%; the Taiwan and South Korean stock markets rose by 0.7% and 0.8%, both hitting new highs; the Japanese stock market rose by 0.3%; the Australian stock market rose by 0.1%; and the New Zealand stock market fell by 0.8%. The Indian stock market recently fell by 0.9%, while the Singapore stock market rose by 1.2%, breaking a record high