Stock markets are likely to begin slightly higher on Tuesday, aided by overnight advances in Asia ahead of the publication of the latest eurozone retail sales data.

European shares are expected to return from the long Easter weekend with a generally optimistic outlook, aided by improving mood in most of Asia.

Except from eurozone retail sales for February, traders return from the holiday break with little on the economic calendar.

Retail sales in the region are projected to have decreased 0.8% month on month, a 3.5% annual reduction, indicating the strains that rising prices were putting on consumers' disposable money.

This week, though, the focus will be on US markets in the aftermath of Friday's official employment announcement.

Nonfarm payrolls expanded by 236k jobs last month, lowering the unemployment rate to 3.5% and demonstrating that the labour market in the United States is strong.

This might give the Federal Reserve flexibility to raise interest rates again in May, but all eyes will be on Wednesday's inflation figures as well as the minutes of the Fed's March meeting for additional hints about the Fed's future monetary policy course.

On the corporate front, the main US banks begin reporting results later this week.

Oil prices jumped Tuesday on forecasts of increased demand in Asia as well as a reduction in stocks in the United States, the world's largest oil consumer.

Fuel usage in India, the world's third-largest oil user, increased by 5% year on year in March, according to data.

Later in the afternoon, the API will issue its weekly data on US oil stocks, which is likely to show another reduction after last week's drop of over 4 million barrels.

(investing.com, reuters.com)