European stocks posted gains Tuesday, with defensive sectors like health care and real estate leading the advance. The rotation into safer assets came as investors weighed ongoing concerns about artificial intelligence's impact on markets and corporate earnings. Technology shares lagged behind, reflecting broader uncertainty about AI-related risks.

Market participants cited geopolitical tensions and economic data as additional factors driving the defensive shift. The Stoxx 600 index climbed 0.4%, with health care stocks rising 1.1% and real estate shares gaining 0.8%. Banks and energy companies underperformed, highlighting the broad-based nature of the defensive rotation.

Analysts noted that the move toward defensive sectors signals caution among investors despite recent market resilience. Trading volumes remained below average, suggesting some hesitation ahead of key economic data releases later this week. The defensive rotation underscores how quickly market sentiment can shift when faced with multiple risk factors.