UKX FTSE 100 Index

By Victor Reklaitis, MarketWatch

Investors world-wide await key Trump speech on Tuesday

European stocks closed with a small loss on Monday, as drops by Deutsche Börse AG, Direct Line Insurance Group PLC and PostNL NV weighed on the region's main benchmark.

Investors appeared to avoid big bets ahead of a key speech Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trumps-speech-to-congress-to-touch-on-tax-cuts-health-plan-2017-02-26), who has been credited with sparking a global rally but hasn't yet detailed his plans for boosting the world's largest economy.

The Stoxx Europe 600 dipped by 0.1% to end at 369.52, adding to last week's retreat. The index last week rose to its strongest level since December 2015, but then finished the week down by 0.1% (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/european-stocks-under-pressure-as-basf-rbs-drop-2017-02-24).

Investors have been looking ahead to Trump's address to a joint session of Congress, said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, in a note Monday.

"For about three weeks now markets have been awaiting further details on the so-called 'phenomenal' tax plan that the president promised us," Hewson said.

Individual movers: Deutsche Börse and London Stock Exchange PLC's (LSE.LN) shares fell by 3.8% and 1.1%, respectively, as their planned megamerger looked less likely (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/merger-between-london-stock-exchange-deutsche-borse-in-doubt-2017-02-26) after the LSE said late Sunday it wouldn't sell its majority-owned fixed-income trading platform in Italy to appease antitrust concerns over the deal.

Direct Line Insurance Group PLC (DLG.LN) was another big loser, sliding 7.2% after the insurer said a change to a key rate will cut into its profit (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/direct-line-pretax-profit-to-fall-on-rate-change-2017-02-27).

PostNL's stock (PNLYY) closed down 7.4% after the Dutch mail company reportedly delivered underlying earnings that fell short of expectations (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/dutch-postal-firm-postnl-reports-fy-ebit-slightly-below-expectations/articleshow/57371153.cms).

Associated British Foods PLC (ABF.LN) fell 0.9%. The company's shares initially had risen after it projected a rise in sales (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ab-foods-projects-rise-in-sales-at-primark-2017-02-27) at his clothing unit, Primark, but the gain evaporated.

On the upside, Bunzl PLC (BZLFY) closed higher by 3.4% after the supplier of disposable products reported a gain in full-year pretax profit (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bunzl-profit-boosted-by-ma-lifts-fy-dividend-2017-02-27).

Economic news: A February reading on economic sentiment in the eurozone showed businesses grew more optimistic (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/eurozone-services-sentiment-at-highest-since-2007-2017-02-27) about their prospects in February.

The euro was trading at $1.0628, up from $1.0561 late Friday.

Read: 6 ways Europe could trigger market turmoil in 2017 (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/6-ways-europe-could-trigger-market-turmoil-in-2017-2017-01-31)

National indexes: The U.K.'s FTSE 100 rose 0.1% to close at 7,253.00 (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ftse-100-travels-higher-as-pound-drops-but-lse-dragged-down-by-ma-fears-2017-02-27), while France's CAC 40 finished roughly unchanged at 4,845.18.

See:The pound faces risk from possible 2nd Scottish referendum (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pound-pushed-lower-as-scottish-referendum-worries-emerge-2017-02-27)

Germany's DAX 30 tacked on 0.2% to end at 11,822.67.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 27, 2017 12:05 ET (17:05 GMT)

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