(RTTNews) - French stocks were moving lower on Tuesday as coalition talks continued in Italy and investors awaited further clarity on the Trump administration's future approach to the U.S.-China trade war.

Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement suspended talks on forming a new ruling coalition with the opposition Democratic Party, insisting it would end talks unless Giuseppe Conte can remain prime minister.

The day's economic reports proved to be a mixed bag, with a measure of French manufacturing confidence improving slightly in August on a rebound in order books and production expectations, while consumer sentiment remained stable, separate reports showed.

The benchmark CAC 40 was down 8 points, or 0.15 percent, at 5,343 after gaining half a percent on Monday.

Elsewhere, Asian markets ended the day mostly higher while trading in U.S. equity futures pointed to a slightly lower open on Wall Street later in the day.

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