FX.co ★ European Shares Inch Higher

The STOXX 50 experienced a slight increase of 0.1%, while the STOXX 600 rose by 0.3% on Tuesday, showing a modest recovery following a muted session the day before. Market participants exercised caution, keeping a close eye on geopolitical tensions and hoping for progress on trade discussions, especially with a sparse economic calendar providing limited guidance. President Trump had a conversation with President Putin on Monday, announcing that Ukraine and Russia would soon commence negotiations aimed at a ceasefire and potentially ending the conflict, albeit possibly without U.S. involvement. During this time, investors also evaluated various corporate updates. Vodafone's shares climbed by 0.5% following the company's announcement of a €2 billion share buyback initiative. Conversely, Swiss Life's shares fell by 0.4% despite the fact that the company reported an increase in fee income and premiums for the first quarter.