Evening markets: Europe firmer, US opens higher before Meta and Tesla results; oil eases on Iran talk

Global markets were calmer on Wednesday evening (IST). European shares were mostly firmer after two days of losses, led by technology, property and banks, according to Newsquawk's market wrap at 7:50 pm IST (14:20 UTC). Spectacles maker EssilorLuxottica jumped 14.3% on strong sales, while French retailer Carrefour fell 14% after cutting its outlook.

In the US, stocks opened higher with the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 supported by results from Super Micro and news around SpaceX. The big events come after the US close: Meta and Tesla report quarterly results, which can move tech shares worldwide, including Indian IT stocks, on Thursday morning.

Oil turned lower. Brent traded between $107.68 and $111.32 and was near the bottom of that range, and WTI fell from $100.40 to about $96.92, after Iran's foreign minister wrote that Iran was willing to pursue diplomacy while warning it would defend itself. Spot gold held in a $4,106–4,142 range and the dollar index was steady near 101.7.

Key takeaway: if oil keeps easing from $110, that helps India's rupee and inflation outlook; Meta and Tesla results tonight will set the mood for tech stocks tomorrow.