European Shares To Open On Subdued Note Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions

European stocks may open flat to slightly lower on Tuesday as the terrorist attack on Moscow boosted oil prices and dented investors' appetite for riskier assets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly acknowledged that "radical Islamists" were behind the recent attack on a concert hall outside Moscow.

At the same time, Putin also suggested a potential involvement of Ukraine in the incident, which occurred on March 22 at Crocus City Hall.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled a trip to Washington by an Israeli delegation of top officials after the U.S. abstained from a vote at the United Nations Security Council calling for a Gaza cease-fire.

Asian markets fluctuated amid uncertainty ahead of a slew of U.S. data due this week, including the release of the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure on Good Friday when U.S. markets will be closed.

The report may show inflation probably remained uncomfortably high. Fed Chair Jerome Powell is also due to speak on Friday.

The dollar dipped due to pressure from a slightly stronger yen and gold was little changed while oil held Monday's gains amid signs of escalating geopolitical tensions.

Trading later in the day may be impacted by reaction to German consumer confidence data and U.S. reports on durable goods orders and consumer confidence.

U.S. stocks fluctuated before ending lower overnight after China introduced new guidelines that have significant implications for major U.S. technology firms, including Intel, AMD and Microsoft.

On the data front, a report showed that sales of new U.S. single-family homes unexpectedly fell in February.

The S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite both shed around 0.3 percent, while the Dow slipped 0.4 percent.

European stocks ended mixed on Monday after a busy week of central bank meetings in Asia, Europe and the United States.

The pan European STOXX 600 ended flat with a positive bias. The German DAX edged up 0.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 finished marginally lower and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 slipped 0.2 percent.

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