LONDON, Dec 21 - European shares were expected to start little changed on Tuesday after an uninspiring finish on Wall Street and as oil prices held steady at $45.72 a barrel, while the London Stock Exchange will grab the spotlight as hopes of a bidding war intensify.
Sources said LSE Chief Executive Clara Furse will meet her counterparts from Deutsche Boerse and Euronext on Tuesday as the two rival exchanges square up to possibly battle for control of the London market. The LSE is now in talks with both exchanges after Euronext on Monday expressed interest in starting bid negotiations with the LSE.
European investment banks such as Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank might be in focus as their U.S. peers Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns report earnings.
Trading volumes in the market are expected to stay light ahead of the Christmas holidays.