Investing.com - European stocks edged lower in quiet trade on Tuesday, although the European Central Bank's latest policy statement still lent some support and as markets continued to monitor developments in Ukraine.
During European afternoon trade, the DJ Euro Stoxx 50 slipped 0.13%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.14%, while Germany’s DAX edged 0.09% lower.
European equities strengthened broadly last week after the ECB cut rates to record lows across the euro zone and announced an asset-backed securities and covered bond purchasing program in an attempt to shore up slowing growth and inflation in the region.
Meanwhile, European Union governments put on hold for at least a "few days" new sanctions against Russia, allowing more time to assess the viability of a cease-fire in Ukraine.
The planned sanctions reportedly include barring some Russian state-owned defense and energy companies from raising capital in the EU.
Financial stocks were mixed, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PARIS:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PARIS:SOGN) slipped 0.28% and 0.14%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank (XETRA:DBKGn) gained 0.52%.
Among peripheral lenders, Intesa Sanpaolo (MILAN:ISP) edged up 0.08% and Unicredit (MILAN:CRDI) fell 0.20% in Italy, while Spanish banks Banco Santander (MADRID:SAN) and BBVA (MADRID:BBVA) declined 0.60% and 0.67%.
Elsewhere, Alstom (PARIS:ALSO) rose 0.29% after the French multinational company said it paid about €6.6 million in bribes over a six-year period to win transport contracts, according to filings from U.K. prosecutors released ahead of the case’s first court hearing today.
In London, FTSE 100 dipped 0.08%, weighed by sharp losses in energy stocks.
Royal Dutch Shell A (LONDON:RDSa) tumbled 1.34% and Royal Dutch Shell B (LONDON:RDSb) lost 1.65%, while rival BP (LONDON:BP) saw shares retreat 1.03%.
Meanwhile, mining stocks remained mostly higher. Bhp Billiton (LONDON:BLT) and Glencore Xstrata (LONDON:GLEN) gained 0.24% and 0.55% respectively, while Rio Tinto (LONDON:RIO) climbed 0.56% and Polymetal (LONDON:POLYP) jumped 1.09%.
In the financial sector, stocks were also mostly higher. Shares in Barclays (LONDON:BARC) and the Royal Bank of Scotland (LONDON:RBS) advanced 0.61% and 0.66% respectively, while Lloyds Banking (LONDON:LLOY) rallied 1.48%.
Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. unit of Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Citizens Financial Group said it is seeking to raise as much as $3.5 billion in the largest initial offering of a U.S. bank since Goldman Sachs went public in 1999.
Also in the U.K., official data showed that manufacturing production rose 0.3% in July, in line with expectations, while a separate report showed that the trade deficit widened unexpectedly to £10.19 billion in July.
In addition, a new opinion poll showed that support for Scottish pro-independence voters increased ahead of next week’s vote.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady open. The Dow 30 futures pointed to a 0.04% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.01% uptick, while the NASDAQ 100 futures indicated a 0.08% rise.