European markets closed lower on Tuesday with investors digesting the latest flash purchasing managers' index data from the euro zone in January, and the early rumblings of corporate earnings season.
European markets
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed 0.2% lower, with health care and oil and gas stocks shedding 1.3% to lead losses while travel and leisure stocks added 1.4%.
PMIs track business activity in the services and manufacturing sectors, and Tuesday's figures showed the euro zone returning to modest growth in December, boosting hopes that the 20-member currency bloc may avoid recession.
The S&P Global euro zone composite PMI, which encompasses manufacturing and services activity, came in at 50.2 in January, up from 49.3 in December and ahead of a consensus forecast of 49.8. The 50 mark separates expansion from contraction.
U.S. stocks fell Tuesday as investors struggled to build on a strong start to the week during a busy stretch of corporate earnings. Meanwhile, markets in the Asia-Pacific traded higher as Lunar New Year holidays were observed in most of the region.