Asahi Kasei to buy Swedish drugmaker Calliditas for 1.1 bln
German wholesale prices fall 1.8 in April
Swiss lender EFG posts strong inflows
STOXX 600 flat

May 28 Reuters European shares struggled for direction on Tuesday after the European Central Bank39;s survey showed consumers39; easing inflation expectations in April, while real estate shares kept the index afloat.

The panEuropean STOXX 600 index was flat at 8450 GMT, with most European markets up except France39;s CAC 40 index.

German shares added 0.3 after a report showed German wholesale prices fell by 1.8 in April yearoveryear.

Euro zone consumers lowered their inflation expectations last month, a fresh ECB survey showed on Tuesday, just as the bank was making plans to start rolling back a record string of interest rate hikes.

We are seeing much more determination and a less wavering stance from the ECB with the eurozone inflation falling in a sustained way, said Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.

Easing forecasts have reinforced market bets on a rate cut next week, which is priced at a 91 probability. 0ECBWATCH

Speeches from ECB member Klaas Knot and Federal Reserve39;s Neel Kashkari are also due today and are set to offer new insights into the monetary policy easing cycle.

ECB policymaker Isabel Schnabel said on Tuesday that the bank39;s massive bond purchases in the recent past may have blunted the impact of its subsequent interest rate hikes by…