European equity markets should hesitate to open, as investors continue to assess the spread of Covid-19 around the world and the outlook for inflation.

At 7:35 a.m., the CAC 40 futures contract was down 3 points, or 0.05%, according to data from broker IG Markets, while the DAX 30 contract was down 22 points, or 0.1%. The FTSE 100 contract was down 5 points, or 0.08%. New York Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman John Williams has estimated that annual inflation will rise slightly above the Fed's 2% target, due to rising energy prices and a weak basis of comparison compared to last year.

Wall Street ended in scattered order on Monday, supported by cyclical stocks but held back by the decline in the technology compartment. The Dow Jones Index (DJIA) gained 0.7% to 34,113 points, and the broader S&P 500 Index gained 0.3% to 4,192.66 points. Against the tide, the Nasdaq Composite, rich in technology stocks, fell 0.5%, to 13,895.12 points.
In Asia, markets are rising on Tuesday. The Hang Seng index gained 0.4% at the end of the session in Hong Kong, as did the Kospi, the flagship index of the Seoul Stock Exchange. Trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Chinese exchanges, closed since Monday, will resume on Thursday.