Markets tread water as traders eye US rate cut, Nvidia results

Stock markets were little changed Tuesday as investors awaited clues on how much interest rates might be cut next month and the latest results from tech heavyweight Nvidia.

In New York, the main indexes initially slipped before regaining most of their ground to be basically flat at midday.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 and Frankfurt's DAX closed up slightly, with Paris's CAC 40 closing lower.

Oil prices gave up some of their recent gains, and the dollar remained under pressure from expectations of narrowing interest rate differentials.

US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell on Friday sent stock markets soaring back to near-record levels -- and the dollar plunging to its lowest in a year -- when he signalled a rate cut was coming.

Attention this week has turned to how large the cut could be, with investors seeing few reasons to push prices too aggressively.

The markets are seeking "more clarity from US economic data about the amount that the Fed may be prepared to ease in September and in the coming months," Jane Foley, head of foreign exchange strategy at Rabobank London, told AFP.

Analysts said trading was thin, partly out of caution and partly because of the coming Labor Day holiday weekend in the United States.

US second-quarter economic growth figures are due Thursday, followed by the Fed's preferred gauge of inflation on Friday and jobs data next week.

Investors will be looking for clues about the size of the promised rate reduction, which the Fed is expected to deliver at its next meeting on September 17-18.

Traders are also awaiting the latest earnings results from chip titan Nvidia on Wednesday, which could provide more indications about demand for the hardware powering the AI boom.

"The company has a long track record of beating analysts' expectations but faces increasingly challenging comparisons," said Joe Mazzola, a strategist at Charles Schwab. "Results from Nvidia could help set the tone for the rest of the week."

In European business news, Spain's government blocked a takeover offer from a Hungarian consortium for Spanish train manufacturer Talgo.

Trading in Talgo shares was briefly suspended on the Madrid exchange but they still fell almost nine percent.

In Asia, Hong Kong rose despite losses in the tech sector that came after Temu owner PDD posted disappointing revenue figures and warned on the outlook for future growth.

The e-commerce firm's shares, which are listed in New York, were down one percent on Tuesday, extending losses after tanking Monday by a record 28.5 percent, wiping tens of billions of dollars off its market capitalisation

• Business