European stocks head for flat open as markets struggle to find momentum

This is CNBC’s live blog covering European markets.

European markets are heading for a flat open Tuesday, continuing lackluster sentiment seen at the start of the week in the region and beyond.

Asia-Pacific markets traded in mixed territory overnight, a day after the region saw all its major indexes end the day in negative territory. Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures were flat Monday night as traders analyzed the strong gains seen throughout November and the trading month nears its end.

CNBC Pro: Barclays reveals the 10 global stocks loaded with debt and at risk of higher interest rates

Barclays has identified European stocks that are most at risk of taking a hit to profits over rising interest payments for debt over the next two years.

During the coronavirus pandemic, central banks cut interest rates to historic lows, enabling companies to borrow debt at very favorable rates. Many firms took advantage of low rates to push out maturities of their bonds to lower interest expenses and strengthen balance sheets.

However, refinancing has now become far more difficult as rates have surged and are expected to stay elevated through 2025.

The Wall Street bank believes refinancing debt at higher rates could dent earnings by 3% to 5% over the next two years, impacting stocks.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more about the stocks identified here.

— Ganesh Rao

CNBC Pro: Forget Tesla. Portfolio manager names another way — and stock — to play the EV market

Tesla is a hot favorite when it comes to investing in the electric vehicle market.

But rising competition is bringing the company’s continued dominance into question.

Brian Arcese, portfolio manager at investment firm Foord Asset Management, CNBC Pro Talks last week that he’s taken two “slightly untraditional” approaches to investing in that space.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Weizhen Tan

‘A year of volatility’: Morgan Stanley names its top stocks as India prepares to head to the polls

Dhiraj Singh | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesPedestrians walk past the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building in Mumbai, India.

The investment case for India is hard to argue with, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley — but they warn that upcoming elections with “potential binary outcomes sets the market up for volatility.”

India goes to the polls between April and May next year. Its last election in 2019 saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi win a second term by a landslide.

CNBC Pro subscribers can discover some of Morgan Stanley’s “focus list” of overweight stocks.

— Amala Balakrishner

European markets: Here are the opening calls

European markets are heading for a flat open Tuesday.

The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 3 points lower at 7,459, Germany’s DAX down 21 points at 15,953, France’s CAC down 1 point at 7,269 and Italy’s FTSE MIB down 5 points at 29,377, according to data from IG.

EasyJet releases earnings and data includes Germany’s GfK consumer sentiment survey for December and consumer confidence figures for France.

— Holly Ellyatt