European stocks post modest gains as French fiscal worries persist

European stock markets rose modestly Tuesday after the Nasdaq Composite closed at a record high Monday on AI-driven tech gains. The FTSE 100 was up 0.5% near 10,551 midday. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 closed up 1.1% at 70,683.98 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng up 1.0% at 24,280.56. Brent crude fell about 2.4-2.5% to near $97.89-$98.58 a barrel, below $100. Dan Coatsworth of AJ Bell said the oil retreat relieved markets and boosted interest-rate sensitive stocks. US 10-year Treasury yields narrowed to 5.27% from 5.33%. Scott Bessent said third-quarter growth exceeded 3% and debt-to-GDP could fall quickly. Marine Le Pen said France was "heading towards default" and proposed EUR140 billion in cost savings by 2032 if elected. Alliance News reported the CAC 40 and DAX each up 0.6%; QNA put CAC 40 up 0.23% and DAX up 0.45%. Asos shares slumped after users got a hack notification saying "Engage with us, or we will leak it." French fiscal worries and bond volatility remain risks.