European markets head for mixed open as focus shifts to Greenland talks

LONDON - European stocks are expected to open in mixed territory on Wednesday as investors in the region focus on a meeting between U.S., Greenlandic and Danish officials to discuss the Arctic island's future. The U.K.'s FTSE index is seen opening 0.1% higher, Germany's DAX slightly below the flatline, France's CAC 40 up 0.17% and Italy's FTSE MIB a touch lower, according to data from IG. All eyes will be on a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Greenlandic and Danish officials on Wednesday, with talks set to focus on President Donald Trump's repeated advances toward "acquiring" the semi-autonomous Danish territory. Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly said the Arctic island is not for sale, but Trump has mooted the possibility of using military force to seize the mineral-rich island. Overnight, Japanese indexes hit record highs on expectations that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi could call for a snap election, likely in February. Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures were little changed Tuesday night after the S&P 500 pulled back from record levels seen earlier in the week. There are no major earnings or data releases in Europe on Wednesday.

Preview: ~189 words