STOXX 600 eyes worst monthly fall since Sept 2022
German retail sales fall unexpectedly in Sept
French GDP growth slows, inflation eases
Wartsila tops STOXX 600 on Q3 beat, 39;positive39; outlook surprise

Oct 31 Reuters European shares climbed on Tuesday, led by real estate and chemical stocks, with investors drawing comfort from a slew of corporate earnings beat, while focusing on major economic data releases throughout the day.

The panEuropean STOXX 600 was up 0.6 by 0930 GMT.

However, the index was poised for its worst monthly performance since September 2022 on recession fears amid weak economic data and downbeat earnings updates.

The benchmark index was also set to log its third straight monthly decline, down nearly 8 during the period.

I39;m not reading too much into today39;s gains, as to some degree, it39;s kind of making up for lost ground, said Michael Field, European equity strategist at Morningstar.

We39;re back in that place where equities aren39;t expensive, but they39;re not cheap either. Unless the economic picture changes to the positive, there39;s no reason why equity markets should rally strongly into the yearend.

Automobiles were on track to be the worst hit in October, while media the top gainer.

On the data front, German retail sales fell in September due to persistently high inflation.

Preliminary data showed the French economy grew by 0.1 in the third quarter, with growth slowing from the previous quarter but staying just above zero…