Polls indicate the election between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney will be extremely close and the risk of a change in policy in the world's largest economy was keeping investors on the sidelines.
"With the uncertainty over the U.S. election and Greece it is likely that investors will be sitting on their hands again today," said Heinz-Gerd Sonnenschein at German bank Postbank
The MSCI index of world stocks was steady at 329.88 points as European markets opened.
