LIVECHAT- EQUITIES FOCUS Reuters stocks correspondents in and New York discuss how a busy news week is playing out on equity markets. To join the conversation at 1400 GMT, click here

MARKET VIEW Financial spreadbetters expect London's FTSE to open 6 points lower at 5,996, Frankfurt's DAX to open 9 points up at 11,084 and Paris' CAC to open 4 points higher at 4,462.

Asian stocks struggled to extend the week's rally and gold and bonds firmed as a sceptical press report dented some hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine and concerns about bumps in the global recovery from the pandemic returned.

Oil prices rose amid signs of improving demand and a drawdown in U.S. crude inventories but worries over the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic capped gains.

MARKET SNAPSHOT AS OF 0425 GMT S&P 500 Index Mini Futures: 2,939.50; up 0.71%; 20.75 points DJIA Mini Futures: 24,352.00; up 0.8%; 194 points Nikkei: 20,680.55; up 1.21%; 247.1 points MSCI Asia, Ex-JP: 478.73; up 1.87%; 8.78 points EUR/USD: $1.0939; up 0.14%; 0.0016 point GBP/USD: $1.2260; up 0.06%; 0.0007 point USD/JPY: 107.79 yen; up 0.07%; 0.08 point Spot Gold: $1,746.26; up 0.14%; $2.45 U.S. Crude: $32.15; up 0.59%; $0.19 Brent Crude: $34.92; up 0.78%; $0.27 10-Yr U.S. Treasury Yield: 0.6923%; down 0.018 point 10-Yr Bund Yield: -0.4720%; down 0.009 point

GLOBAL TOP NEWS U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday defended the Trump administration's fiscal response to the coronavirus pan- demic and told senators he was willing to consider extending and modifying a payroll loan program for small businesses.

China held its benchmark lending rate steady, though analysts believe the widely expected decision signals just a brief pause in the central bank's efforts to support an economy ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic.

The World Health Organization's head said on Tuesday he would keep leading the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut off funding and quit the body.

EUROPEAN COMPANY NEWS Chinese hackers are suspected of accessing email and travel details of about nine million easyJet customers, said two sources fa- miliar with the investigation into a cyberattack disclosed by the British airline on Tuesday.

HSBC expects to achieve double-digit asset growth in its newly combined wealth business in Asia Pacific in the next three years, as it looks to grab a bigger share of the growing rich population, the unit's regional head told Reuters.

Volkswagen AG has agreed to pay 9 million euros in a deal with a German court to end legal proceedings against its chairman and chief executive, who were accused of holding back market-moving information on rigged emissions tests.

TODAY'S COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENTS 3U Holding AG Annual Shareholders Meeting PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting Ageas SA Annual Shareholders Meeting Aixtron SE Annual Shareholders Meeting ALD SA Annual Shareholders Meeting Alkermes Plc Annual Shareholders Meeting Altice Europe NV Q1 2020 Earnings Release Antares Vision SpA Annual Shareholders Meeting Antofagasta PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting ASR Nederland NV Annual Shareholders Meeting Banco Comercial Portugues SA Q1 2020 Earnings Call Biofrontera AG Q1 2020 Earnings Call BMO Private Equity Trust PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting BW Energy Ltd Q1 2020 Earnings Release Capital & Regional PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting Catena Media PLC Q1 2020 Earnings Call Chubb Ltd Annual Shareholders Meeting Core Laboratories NV Annual Shareholders Meeting Cts Eventim AG & Co KgaA Q1 2020 Earnings Release Deutsche Bank AG Annual Shareholders Meeting DFV Deutsche Familienversicherung AG Annual Shareholders Meeting Embracer Group AB Q4 2020 Earnings Release Energiekontor AG Annual Shareholders Meeting Euro Ressources SA Annual Shareholders Meeting Euronav NV Annual Shareholders Meeting Exor NV Annual Shareholders Meeting Frey SA Annual Shareholders Meeting Gabetti Property Solutions SpA Annual Shareholders Meeting PLC FY 2020 Earnings Call Hexagon Composites ASA Q1 2020 Earnings Release Infotel SA Annual Shareholders Meeting Intershop Communications AG Annual Shareholders Meeting IP Group PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting Judges Scientific PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting Kloeckner & Co SE Annual Shareholders Meeting Leone Film Group SpA Annual Shareholders Meeting McPhy Energy SAS Annual Shareholders Meeting Multiconsult ASA Q1 2020 Earnings Release Net Gaming Europe AB Q1 2020 Earnings Call Norwegian Energy Company ASA Q1 2020 Earnings Release NRC Group ASA Q1 2020 Earnings Call Nucleus Financial Group PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting Oberbank AG Annual Shareholders Meeting Obrascon Huarte Lain SA Q1 2020 Earnings Release Olav Thon Eiendomsselskap ASA Q1 2020 Earnings Release Path Investments PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG Annual Shareholders Meeting Pharos Energy PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting PNE AG Annual Shareholders Meeting QSC AG Annual Shareholders Meeting Saf Holland SE Annual Shareholders Meeting SAP SE Annual Shareholders Meeting Scandic Hotels Group AB Q1 2020 Earnings Call Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S Q1 2020 Earnings Call Schoeller Bleckmann Oilfield Equipment AG Q1 2020 Earnings Release Selvaag Bolig ASA Q1 2020 Earnings Release Semperit AG Holding Q1 2020 Earnings Release Sensorion SA Annual Shareholders Meeting Severn Trent PLC FY 2020 Earnings Release Singulus Technologies AG Annual Shareholders Meeting Sonae SGPS SA Q1 2020 Earnings Release SUESS MicroTec SE Annual Shareholders Meeting TBC Bank Group PLC Q1 2020 Earnings Release Tele Columbus AG Q1 2020 Earnings Call Telefonica Deutschland Holding AG Annual Shareholders Meeting Temenos AG Annual Shareholders Meeting Uniper SE Annual Shareholders Meeting United Internet AG Annual Shareholders Meeting Vienna Insurance Group AG Wiener Versicherung Gruppe Q1 2020 Earnings Call PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting

2

ECONOMIC EVENTS (All times GMT) 0600 United Kingdom Core CPI mm for April: Expected 0.2%; Prior 0.1% 0600 United Kingdom Core CPI yy for April: Expected 1.5%; Prior 1.6% 0600 United Kingdom CPI mm for April: Expected -0.1%; Prior 0.0% 0600 United Kingdom CPI yy for April: Expected 0.9%; Prior 1.5% 0600 United Kingdom RPI mm for April: Expected 0.0%; Prior 0.2% 0600 United Kingdom RPI yy for April: Expected 1.6%; Prior 2.6% 0600 United Kingdom RPI-X (Retail Prices) mm for April: Prior 0.2% 0600 United Kingdom RPIX yy for April: Prior 2.7% 0600 United Kingdom RPI Index for April: Prior 292.6 0600 (approx.) United Kingdom CPI NSA for April: Prior 108.6 0600 United Kingdom PPI Input Prices mm NSA for April: Expected -4.0%; Prior -3.6% 0600 United Kingdom PPI Input Prices yy NSA for April: Expected -8.7%; Prior -2.9% 0600 United Kingdom PPI Output Prices mm NSA for April: Expected -0.5%; Prior -0.2% 0600 United Kingdom PPI Output Prices yy NSA for April: Expected -0.4%; Prior 0.3% 0600 United Kingdom PPI Core Output mm NSA for April: Expected -0.1%; Prior 0.3% 0600 United Kingdom PPI Core Output yy NSA for April: Expected 0.6%; Prior 0.9% 0700 (approx.) Austria HICP mm for April: Prior 0.5% 0700 (approx.) Austria HICP yy for April: Prior 1.6% 0700 (approx.) Austria CPI yy NSA for April: Prior 1.60% 0700 (approx.) Austria CPI mm NSA for April: Prior 0.28% 0700 (approx.) Austria CPI NSA for April: Prior 108.2 0730 Sweden Capacity Utilization qq SA for Q1: Prior -2.1% 0800 (approx.) Euro Zone Current Account NSA for March: Prior 33.8 bln EUR 0800 Euro Zone Current Account SA for March: Prior 40.162 bln EUR 0900 Euro Zone HICP Final mm for April: Expected 0.3%; Prior 0.5% 0900 Euro Zone HICP Final yy for April: Expected 0.4%; Prior 0.4% 0900 Euro Zone HICP-X F&E mm for April: Expected 0.7%; Prior 1.0% 0900 Euro Zone HICP-X F&E Final yy for April: Expected 1.1%; Prior 1.1% 0900 Euro Zone HICP-X Tobacco mm for April: Prior 0.5% 0900 Euro Zone HICP-X tobacco yy for April: Prior 0.7% 0900 Euro Zone HICP-X F, E, A, T Final mm for April: Expected 0.8%; Prior 0.8% 0900 Euro Zone HICP-X F, E, A&T Final yy for April: Expected 0.9%; Prior 0.9% 0900 (approx.) Euro Zone HICP Ex-Tobacco Revised for April: Expected 104.77 0900 (approx.) Euro Zone HICP Excluding Tobacco Unrevised for April: Prior 104.77 1000 (approx.) Portugal Current Account Balance for March: -0.736 bln EUR 1300 Belgium Consumer Confidence Index for May: Prior -26 1400 Euro Zone Consumer Confidence Flash for May: Expected -24.0; Prior -22.7

DEBT AUCTIONS France - Reopening of 3-year, 5-year, 6-year, 10-year and 16-year government debt auctions. Germany - Reopening of 10-year government debt auction. Portugal - Reopening of 6-month and 1-year government debt auction. United Kingdom - Reopening of 3-year government debt auction.

3

PICTURE OF THE DAY

A Liverpool fan is held up as he looks over a fence to watch training at Melwood following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Liverpool, Britain, May 19. REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff

click here

4