European markets open slightly lower; gold prices climb to a fresh record high

European markets opened slightly lower on Monday.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 traded down 0.1% shortly after the opening bell, with most sectors in negative territory.

— Sam Meredith

The fundamental backdrop is “quite good” for gold prices at the moment, according to one analyst, with the yellow metal thought to be on track to hit $3,000 per ounce over the coming months.

Spot gold prices traded 0.3% higher at $2,727.26 per ounce at around 7:50 a.m. London time, paring gains after hitting a fresh all-time high of $2,732.73 earlier in the session.

“There are a lot of things happening at the moment. I think the geopolitical uncertainty certainly helps. I think the rates is where it gets really interesting though,” Michael Widmer, head of metals research at Bank of America global research, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Monday.

“In the past, we always said it is the 10-year yield rate that matters most for the gold price but what we have actually seen is the complete decorrelation there. So, these days, lower 10-year yield rates are bullish gold, but higher 10-year yield rates do not have to be bearish gold,” Widmer said.

“And that’s partly because, I think there is increasing concern about government debt levels, particularly when it comes to the U.S. elections,” he continued.

“I think that is what makes gold really attractive as a kind of a safe haven — it is almost the ultimate safe haven asset if there is a lot of concern about the Treasury market.”

— Sam Meredith

Asking prices for British homes rose only marginally in October as more properties came onto the market, according a survey on Monday that also suggested some buyers were waiting for clarity on tax changes in the new government’s upcoming budget.

Asking prices rose by just 0.3% in October, well below their average for a 1.3% monthly increase for the month, property website Rightmove said.

The number of homes available for sale was 12% higher than the same time period last year, and was the highest per real estate agent since 2014.

Overall activity in the property market remained strong, with buyer demand rising.

Prices were 1.0% higher than a year earlier.

— Reuters

China’s stimulus measures need to tackle structural problems in its crisis-hit property sector to restore confidence in the world’s second-largest economy, according to one strategist.

It comes as optimism over a raft of economic measures implemented by Beijing since late September appears to have faded in recent days.

“I think the fundamental point is, for all of the measures that have been taken, I think where the disappointment at least for an observer comes in is measures for the property market,” Daniel Morris, chief market strategist at BNP Paribas Asset Management, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Monday.

“The fundamental issue, or one of many fundamental issues, is that you can cut interest rates, but people aren’t necessarily going to react if confidence isn’t there [and] confidence isn’t there because of weakness in the property market,” Morris said.

“And so, you need to start with that fundamental issue before you get the chain effect that you want,” he added.

— Sam Meredith

European markets are expected to open in mixed territory Monday.

The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 17 points higher at 8,373, Germany’s DAX down 12 points at 19,644, France’s CAC up 1 point at 7,611 and Italy’s FTSE MIB up 55 points at 35,087, according to data from IG.

Earnings are set to come from Forvia and SAP. German producer price index data is due.

— Holly Ellyatt

Bitcoin surged to its highest level in three months after election polls showed higher odds of winning for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

The cryptocurrency surged to a high of $69,487 on Monday, its highest level since July.

Trump’s campaign has been seen by many as more favorable to cryptocurrencies.The former president proposed a “national crypto stockpile” in July, and pledging that “the United States will be the crypto capital of the planet and the bitcoin superpower of the world.”

Wall Street analysts have raised their bets on three stocks ahead of their quarterly earnings reports over the past week.

One of the stocks, a Big Tech AI firm, has rallied 64% this year, with analysts predicting more momentum ahead.

CNBC Pro screened for stocks in the MSCI World index that have received share price target upgrades from Wall Street analysts over the past seven days. These stocks are also due to report quarterly financial results over the next few weeks.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Ganesh Rao

As investors attempt to navigate volatile global markets, Morgan Stanley is reiterating its recommendation to buy dividend stocks.

“We recommend balanced and flexible strategy investors supplement their portfolio with dividend income, given high uncertainty into U.S. elections on November 5, and with a global monetary easing cycle likely to put a stronger focus on dividend yield,” Morgan Stanley’s analysts wrote in an Oct. 15 research note.

“Investor appetite on corporate reform and shareholder returns across Asia/EM also remains high, which is likely to benefit dividend-oriented stocks.”

— Amala Balakrishner