BNP PARIBAS 
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index gained 0.25%, the Eurozone EuroStoxx 50 0.12% and the Stoxx 600 0.24%.
Since the publication of the monthly job creation figures for the United States, which were well above expectations and called into question the scenario defended by the markets of a soft landing for the economy and a lull in the rise in the cost of credit, investors have been awaiting further reactions from central bankers on the trajectory of interest rates.
"The Fed first needs to see the beginning of a lull in both the job market and inflation before it can justify a change of strategy on rates," explains Russ Mould, Chief Investment Officer at AJ Bell.
Jerome Powell is due to speak at 5:40 pm GMT at an event organized by the Economic Club of Washington, while statements by three Bank of England (BoE) officials, including its chief economist Huw Pill, and members of the European Central Bank (ECB), including Isabel Schnabel, are also scheduled separately later in the day.
At an event organized by several German media, Banque de France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau, also a member of the ECB, said on Tuesday that there was no need to choose between fighting inflation and the risk of a recession.
The latest ECB survey, published on Tuesday, shows that consumer inflation expectations in the eurozone were revised slightly upwards in December, a sign that inflation fears are struggling to recede.
As for the day's economic indicators, France's trade deficit widened in 2022 with the energy bill, while in Germany, industrial production fell more than expected in December. STOCKS TO WATCH ON WALL STREET
Wall Street trading is likely to be punctuated by a number of corporate releases, as 69.3% of the 254 S&P-500 companies that have already reported earnings beat expectations in terms of quarterly profit, according to data from Refinitiv. However, analysts are still expecting a 2.8% year-on-year decline in fourth-quarter earnings for S&P-500 companies.
VALUES IN EUROPE In Europe, corporate results are also driving the trend, with BNP Paribas in particular gaining 3.17% after raising its 2025 targets and announcing a €5 billion share buyback program this year. The Stoxx 600 banking index advanced by 1.33%.
British oil group BP, for its part, jumped 5.69% on the back of record profits of $27.6 billion (€25.72 billion) in 2022 and a 10% increase in the dividend paid to shareholders.
On the downside, Danish brewer Carlsberg lost 1.92% after lower-than-expected quarterly sales and Siemens Energy dropped 2.07% after its first-quarter net loss almost doubled, while Osram plunged 21.37% after suspending the payment of its 2022 dividend following results and forecasts deemed disappointing.
RATES Benchmark bond yields continue to rise in view of interest rates that could peak in the US at 5.1% by July, according to the FedWatch barometer.
The yield on ten-year Treasuries stands at 3.63%, while its German equivalent for the same maturity is up by around three basis points at 2.31%.
FOREIGN CURRENCIES The dollar paused (+0.04%) against a basket of international currencies, but remains well above its recent low of 101.55 points reached on February 3.
The euro, down 0.26%, is trading at $1.0702.
The Australian dollar, for its part, gained as much as 1% during the session to 0.6952 US dollars, after the Australian central bank raised rates by 25 basis points, while hinting that further hikes were on the cards.
OIL
The oil market was driven both by signs of rising Chinese demand and the shutdown of a major export terminal in Turkey following the powerful earthquakes that struck the country and Syria.
Brent crude gained 1.37% to $82.1 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) 1.61% to $75.3.
NO FURTHER ECONOMIC INDICATORS ON TODAY'S AGENDA
(Written by Claude Chendjou, edited by Kate Entringer)
by Claude Chendjou
