European Stocks Steady Amid Tariff Concerns and Coalition Uncertainty; Volkswagen Guidance in Focus

European stock markets ended Tuesday on a broadly steady note, largely recovering from Monday’s sell-off that had been driven by fears over the potential impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans on the U.S. economy. The pan-European Stoxx 600 remained mostly unchanged after hitting its lowest level in nearly a month on Monday, while an index tracking the region’s banking sector declined 0.8% and a travel and leisure gauge dropped 1.6%.

Investor sentiment was also influenced by ongoing discussions over new military and infrastructure spending proposals from the parties expected to form Germany’s next coalition government. However, Germany’s Greens have signaled opposition to these proposals, arguing that they could exacerbate fiscal challenges. The potential for these expenditures—and a loosening of Berlin’s longstanding borrowing limits—poses risks to an agreement between Friedrich Merz’s conservative faction and Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party, an accord that had previously excited global markets. In response, the Greens have put forward rival plans in an effort to secure a compromise.

At 05:15 ET (09:15 GMT), Germany’s DAX rose by 170 points (0.8%), France’s CAC 40 gained 44 points (0.5%), while the UK’s FTSE 100 dipped slightly by 11 points (0.1%).

In corporate news, Volkswagen issued cautious guidance for 2025. Despite posting solid financial results in 2024, the German automaker anticipates sales revenue growth of no more than 5% next year and expects its operating return on sales to range between 5.5% and 6.5%. Shares in Volkswagen ticked slightly higher in early dealmaking, while the Stoxx automobiles and components index inched up by 0.9%.