Global stocks were mixed Tuesday as investors digested strong bank earnings and monitored ongoing developments in the US-China trade war amid lingering unease over last week's market gyrations.

Some stability has returned to markets after last week's roller-coaster ride over Trump's stop-start tariff announcements, but uncertainty remains over speculation of new levies on high-end technology and pharmaceuticals.

"While financial markets have steadied, with many looking as if they are consolidating at current levels, this feels as if it is the calm before the storm," said Trade Nation financial services senior analyst David Morrison.

"Markets remain skittish, and investors feel safer sitting on their hands for now, hoping that last week's worrying dislocations revert back to normal," he said.

Wall Street stocks finished lower after two positive sessions.

A White House spokeswoman described the ball as being "in China's court" in the trade war between Washington and Beijing.

"Will we have relief or progress with the trade tariff situation or is the situation going to get worse?" said Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investments. "We don't know. That question mark is leading investors to hold off from taking any big positions."

Shares in Bank of America and Citigroup climbed after the financial giants posted solid earnings reports.

Boeing slumped as Trump said China "reneged" on a major deal with the US aviation giant, after Bloomberg reported that Beijing ordered airlines not to take further deliveries from the company amid an escalating trade war. Shares in European rival Airbus rose.

European indices closed higher, with London and Frankfurt gaining 1.4 percent each.

Paris made more modest gains, weighed down by shares in Louis Vuitton owner LVMH falling almost eight percent over weak sales. The group was overtaken by rival Hermes as France's most valuable company by market capitalization.

Shares in European and Asian automakers rallied following Trump's comments on Monday that he was "very flexible" and "looking at something to help some of the car companies" hit by his 25 percent tariff on all imports.

"This serves to double down on the weekend narrative that Trump will reverse some of his tariffs once company execs approach him to highlight the huge negative implications of his action," said Scope Markets chief market analyst Joshua Mahony.  

In Asia, Toyota jumped 3.7 percent and Hyundai more than four percent.

But in the United States, General Motors and Ford slumped.

Key figures around 2050 GMT (0650 PST)

New York - Dow: DOWN 0.4 percent at 40,368.96 (close)

New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.2 percent at 5,396.63 (close)

New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 0.1 percent at 16,823.17 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 1.4 percent at 8,249.12 (close)

Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.9 percent at 7,335.40 (close)

Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.4 percent at 21,253.70(close)

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.8 percent at 34,267.54 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.2 percent at 21,466.27 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,267.66 (close)

Dollar/yen: UP at 143.18 yen from 143.09 yen on Monday

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1291 from $1.1351

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3232 from $1.3190

Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.30 pence from 86.05 pence

West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.3 percent at $61.33 per barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.3 percent at $64.67 per barrel