European stock markets close mixed amid caution over economic data and ECB meeting.

The European stock markets closed Tuesday's session with mixed results, reflecting investors' caution ahead of the release of the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the eurozone and the upcoming European Central Bank (ECB) meeting scheduled for Thursday. In detail, the Milan Stock Exchange led the gains with an increase of 0.71%, followed by Madrid with a rise of 0.47%, and London with an advance of 0.08%. On the other hand, Paris declined by 0.3% and Frankfurt by 0.1%. The Euro Stoxx 50 index, which includes the main companies in the region, closed with a 0.4% decrease. The eurozone PMI report, which measures economic activity, showed a figure of 49.2 points in February, compared to 47.9 the previous month, marking its highest level in the last eight months. According to experts, the eurozone economy has shown signs of stabilization, with a contraction of activity that, although still present, has been the slowest since mid-2023. In the financial sphere, investors are paying attention to central banks' movements, especially ahead of the upcoming ECB meeting on Thursday, where it is expected to keep interest rates at 4.5% and update its economic forecasts. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average started the day down 0.47%, while the Nasdaq fell 0.92%. On the other hand, gold reached highs during the session by surpassing $2,140 per ounce, while Brent crude oil fell by 0.25% to $82.59. In the bond market, the German ten-year bond saw a decline in its yield, while Bitcoin hit a new all-time high by surpassing $69,000. In summary, the session was marked by investors' uncertainty regarding economic data and the expectations of decisions to be made by central banks in the coming days.