Austrian hydropower producer Verbund VERB.VI slid 4.3% as it expects 2021 profit to fall after a 14% rise in 2020, thanks to lower electricity prices. By Sruthi Shankar and Devik Jain March 17 (Reuters) - European stocks ticked lower on Wednesday as most investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy decision, while German carmaker BMW jumped after forecasting significant profit growth in 2021. The Fed's monetary policy stance will be closely watched after a recent run-up in Treasury yields stoked concerns about a pick-up in inflation as the U.S. economy rebounds from pandemic lows.