European equities showed little clear direction on Tuesday, with traders hesitant to take strong positions ahead of Wednesday’s closely watched U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate decision.

The Fed is widely expected to deliver a 25-basis-point rate cut, although the trajectory for policy in 2026 remains uncertain.

In regional economic data, Germany’s trade balance improved in October, helped by a small rise in exports and a pullback in imports, according to figures released by the federal statistics office.

Exports edged up 0.1% month-on-month—far below September’s 1.5% rebound—while imports fell 1.2% after a sharp 5.1% rise the previous month. This pushed the country’s trade surplus higher, reaching €16.9 billion compared with €15.3 billion in September.

Later in the session, investors will turn their focus to U.S. JOLTS job openings data for October, which could offer fresh insight into the labor market’s strength.

Market performance across Europe was uneven: Germany’s DAX gained 0.3%, the UK’s FTSE 100 hovered just below unchanged, and France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.6%.

In corporate news, ThyssenKrupp (TG:TKA) tumbled after warning of a difficult operating environment and projecting a potential net loss of up to €800 million in 2026.

British American Tobacco (LSE:BATS) also traded sharply lower after stating that 2026 results are expected to land at the bottom of its medium-term guidance range.

Shares of Chemring Group (LSE:CHG) weakened as well, following an update indicating higher-than-planned expenses tied to the company’s expansion efforts in Norway.

On a more positive note, German wind turbine maker Nordex (BIT:1NDX) advanced after securing new orders in France and Belgium.

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