FTSE 100 up 0.25%; DAX up down 0.07%; CAC 40 up 1.70% (Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Milan, 29 Apr - European shares were little changed in cautious midday trade, with the Stoxx 600 index up 0.20%.

Investors remained on the sidelines as they awaited the Federal Reserve's two-day monetary policy meeting starting tomorrow following another hotter-than-expected US inflation reading on Friday.

The US central bank is expected to keep rates on hold on Wednesday, but investors will closely monitor chairman Jerome Powell's press conference for fresh clues on the Fed's policy path.

Traders also continued to monitor fresh earnings reports from European companies including Philips, Vivendi and BBVA as the earnings season continues in full swing.

In April 2024, economic sentiment in the eurozone fell by 0.6 points compared to the previous month to 95.6 while in the European Union it slipped 0.3 points to 96.2, according to data released by the European Commission. In the EU, the marginal decline of the ESI in April reflected slightly lower confidence in industry and services, while retail trade, construction and consumer confidence remained broadly stable.

Germany's latest inflation figures showed that consumer prices rose in April in four important German states - Bavaria, in Brandenburg, Saxony and Hesse - while in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, it remained unchanged from the previous month at 2.3% and in Baden-Wuerttemberg it dropped to 2.1% from 2.3% in the previous month.

At 1125 GMT the FTSE 100 was up 0.25% at 8,212 points, hovering at all-time highs as it rose for a ninth straight session, with hopes of a forthcoming interest rate cut from the Bank of England helping lift sentiment.

The Frankfurt DAX was down 0.07% at 18,153 points. The Paris CAC 40 was up 0.12% at 8,097 points, while in Milan the FTSE MIB was up 0.01% at 34,252 points and in Madrid the IBEX 35 was down 0.77% at 11,068 points.

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(RADIOCOR) 29-04-24 13:40:07 (0334) 5 NNNN