European shares steady with focus on upcoming US data; Siemens slides

(Reuters) -European shares were steady on Thursday, as investors braced for crucial U.S. economic data following the end of the nation’s longest government shutdown, while losses in Siemens also limited gains after it reported underwhelming earnings.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index edged up 0.1% to 585.13 points by 0814 GMT, trading close to record highs.

Tech stocks led sectoral gains with a 0.9% rise, as ASML and Infineon showed signs of recovery from steep losses incurred last week.

Late on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed legislation ending the government shutdown, paving the way for federal agencies to resume collection of data crucial for policymaking.

September’s jobs report will likely be the first to be released. After private surveys signalled cracks in the labour market, investors are anticipating that a Federal Reserve interest rate cut could be imminent.

Meanwhile, Siemens lost 4% after the engineering company’s industrial profit came slightly below analyst forecasts during its fourth quarter and it unveiled plans to reduce its stake in Siemens Healthineers .

Delivery Hero gained 2% after the German online takeaway food company said it expected growth to accelerate in the current quarter, driven by a recovery in its Asian market.

(Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru)