Investing.com - European stocks remained mixed in quiet trade on Monday, as investors were eyeing the outcome of a series of central bank meetings this week.
During European afternoon trade, the EURO STOXX 50 eased 0.09%, France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.06%, while Germany’s DAX 30 added 0.28%.
Speculation over an additional rate cut by the European Central Bank was fuelled by a string of disappointing euro zone data last week.
Official data confirmed on Thursday that consumer price inflation in the euro zone fell 0.1% in April from the previous month, with the annual rate of inflation slowing to 1.2% from 1.7% in March.
On Wednesday, data showed that the euro zone economy contracted by 0.2% in the three months to March bringing the annualized rate of decline to 0.9%.
Financial stocks were mostly higher, as French lenders BNP Paribas and Societe Generale advanced 0.86% and 1.81%, while Germany's Commerzbank surged 3.81%.
Peripheral lenders were mixed on the other hand. In Spain, BBVA retreated 0.81% and Banco Santander added 0.36%, while in Italy, Unicredit gained 0.69% and Intesa Sanpaolo tumbled 1.15%.
Elsewhere, Electricite de France jumped 1.18%, extending earlier gains, after the stock was upgraded by Credit Suisse Group.
In London, FTSE 100 slipped 0.13%, despite gains in the financial sector.
Shares in Lloyds Banking rose 0.37% and HSBC Holdings advanced 0.67%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland surged 3.31%. Barclays underperformed however, dipping 0.02%.
Meanwhile, mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton remained on the downside, losing 0.80% and 0.88% respectively, as did Anglo American, down 2.15%.
Randgold Resources added to losses, plummeting 2.08%, as gold prices trended lower.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady to lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.02% loss, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.01% dip, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.03% fall.
During European afternoon trade, the EURO STOXX 50 eased 0.09%, France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.06%, while Germany’s DAX 30 added 0.28%.
Speculation over an additional rate cut by the European Central Bank was fuelled by a string of disappointing euro zone data last week.
Official data confirmed on Thursday that consumer price inflation in the euro zone fell 0.1% in April from the previous month, with the annual rate of inflation slowing to 1.2% from 1.7% in March.
On Wednesday, data showed that the euro zone economy contracted by 0.2% in the three months to March bringing the annualized rate of decline to 0.9%.
Financial stocks were mostly higher, as French lenders BNP Paribas and Societe Generale advanced 0.86% and 1.81%, while Germany's Commerzbank surged 3.81%.
Peripheral lenders were mixed on the other hand. In Spain, BBVA retreated 0.81% and Banco Santander added 0.36%, while in Italy, Unicredit gained 0.69% and Intesa Sanpaolo tumbled 1.15%.
Elsewhere, Electricite de France jumped 1.18%, extending earlier gains, after the stock was upgraded by Credit Suisse Group.
In London, FTSE 100 slipped 0.13%, despite gains in the financial sector.
Shares in Lloyds Banking rose 0.37% and HSBC Holdings advanced 0.67%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland surged 3.31%. Barclays underperformed however, dipping 0.02%.
Meanwhile, mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton remained on the downside, losing 0.80% and 0.88% respectively, as did Anglo American, down 2.15%.
Randgold Resources added to losses, plummeting 2.08%, as gold prices trended lower.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady to lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.02% loss, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.01% dip, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.03% fall.