European stocks opened mixed on Wednesday as investors assessed the trajectory of the US-Iran trade war and the prospects for resuming peace talks.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index settled at 620.17 points, Britain's FTSE rose 0.1% to 10,627.94 points, Germany's DAX climbed 0.1% to 24,067.90 points, while France's CAC 40 fell 0.6% to 8,277.39 points.
This comes after improved sentiment in Asia-Pacific and US markets during overnight trading, with oil prices falling amid growing hopes for a diplomatic solution to the Middle East conflict.
In the same context, a White House official said on Tuesday that a second round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran is still under discussion, without setting an official date yet, adding that the details have not yet been finalized within the US administration, and he requested not to be identified due to the privacy of the internal discussions.
US President Donald Trump later told the New York Post that a new round of talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad could take place in the next couple of days.
In a related context, major companies, including ASML, Hermes International, and Antofagasta, are scheduled to announce their financial results on Wednesday, with investors awaiting their performance in light of global market developments.
On the economic data front, industrial production figures for the European Union will be released later today, which will provide further indication of the strength of economic activity in the region in recent times.
