EUROPE BEFORE THE BELL: LOTS OF BIG DEAL NEWS
Traders seem to be pressing pause on European market momentum to start the week after the STOXX 600 ended last week by notching its latest record high.
European equity futures are slightly lower, with Euro STOXX 50 EUREX:FESX1! futures down 0.14%. DAX BMFBOVESPA:DAX1! and FTSE ICEEUR:Z1! futures are both down by around 0.1%, while CAC (FCEc1) futures are little changed.
While there weren't any U.S.-Iran peace talk developments over the weekend, various corporate updates should keep markets busy as we head into the week with earnings season also looming.
That includes British budget airline easyJet LSE:EZJ which on Sunday said it had agreed in principle to a sweetened takeover bid from U.S. investment firm Castlelake that values the carrier at up to £5.5 billion ($7.34 billion).
Elsewhere, Netherlands-based lender ING (ING.AS) on Monday said it would buy a stake of about 40% in Spain's Singular Bank from private equity firm Warburg Pincus for an undisclosed price. And also on Monday, Thales EURONEXT:HO said it had reached an agreement with Exail's EURONEXT:EXA leading shareholder to buy its stake in the French underwater drone technology company in a first step towards a full takeover.