European markets open higher, France in focus

Investing.com -- European markets opened higher on Tuesday, although investor attention is fixed on unfolding political challenges in France this week.

At 3:17 ET (8:17 GMT) Germany's DAX index gained 0.5%, France's CAC 40 increased by 0.8%, and the UK's FTSE 100 advanced 0.4%.

Data releases on the agenda for Tuesday include U.K. retail sales figures and Spanish unemployment data.   Focus on France: Political crisis looms

France’s markets will be under close scrutiny as Prime Minister Michel Barnier invoked special constitutional measures to pass a controversial budget bill without a parliamentary vote. 

Opposition parties, spanning both left and right factions, have expressed intentions to back a no-confidence motion against Barnier’s minority government. The vote is expected to occur on Wednesday.   Oil prices edge higher ahead of OPEC+ meeting

Oil prices saw a slight uptick early Tuesday but stayed within a narrow trading range as markets awaited developments from an upcoming OPEC+ meeting.

At 3:17 ET Brent crude futures rose 0.8% to $72.36 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 0.7% to reach $68.59.

Source: Investing.com