European stocks lost steam on Monday afternoon as earlier gains faded and global markets turned red ahead of Tuesday's US presidential election.

London markets closed with mixed results on Monday, as investors prepared for a week laden with key political and economic events, including the upcoming US presidential election and anticipated policy statements in both the UK and US.

US stock markets finished lower on Monday as traders braced for volatility in the days ahead with the latest polls showing Donald Trump and Kamala Harris neck and neck in the race to become America’s 47th president.

When MRNA reports third-quarter earnings, investors will likely focus on the sales performance of its recently approved RSV vaccine, mResvia.

Meta Platforms (META) provided strong guidance buoyed by its extensive thrust on generative artificial intelligence.

The S&P 500 was down slightly in October. Two of the top three stocks in October were travel stocks.

Schroders reported a record high in assets under management on Tuesday, reaching £777.4bn as of 30 September, although large third-quarter outflows took the shine off the news.

London stocks were just a smidgen higher in early trade on Tuesday, with investors erring on the side of caution as Americans headed to the polls.

UK water companies were on the rise on Tuesday as Citi and JPMorgan Cazenove struck a positive note on the outlook ahead of Ofwat’s Final Determinations next month.

Palantir Technologies shares powered firmly higher in early Tuesday trading