Investing.com - European stocks were higher on Thursday, following German unemployment data, while investors remained cautious amid ongoing concerns over developments in Spain and Greece.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 edged up 0.12%, France’s CAC 40 added 0.24%, while Germany’s DAX 30 rose 0.26%.
Germany's Federal Statistics Office said the number of unemployed people rose by a seasonally adjusted 9,000 in September, compared to expectations for an increase of 10,000.
Germany’s unemployment rate held steady at 6.8% in September, in line with expectations.
Meanwhile, investors eyed events in Spain later Thursday, as the government was to present its draft budget for next year and announce structural reforms, while the results of bank stress tests are due on Friday.
Demonstrators clashed with police on the streets of Athens and Madrid this week in an upsurge of popular anger at new austerity measures being imposed on two of the euro zone's most vulnerable economies.
Financial stocks were mixed, as Germany saw shares in Deutsche Bank decline 0.23% and Commerzbank jump 1.27%, while France's BNP Paribas dipped 0.04% and Societe Generale rose 0.40%.
Separately, Credit Agricole advanced 1.46% after its CEO said it may sell its Emporiki Greek unit.
Meanwhile, peripheral lenders were broadly lower, as shares in Spain's BBVA and Banco Santander dropped 0.87% and 0.57%, while Italian banks Intesa Sanpaolo and Unicredit fell 0.08% and 0.72%.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 added 0.13%, supported by strong gains in mining and oil stocks, while final data showed that the U.K.'s economy contracted less-than-expected in the second quarter.
Mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton advanced 1.55% and 0.47%, while copper producers Xstrata and Kazakhmys gained 1.36% and 0.29% respectively.
Oil major Anglo American also gained ground, with shares rallying 1.54%, while BP climbed 0.53%.
Elsewhere, U.K. lenders were mixed. Shares in HSBC Holdings advanced 0.97% and Barclays jumped 0.93%, while Lloyds Banking climbed 0.85% and the Royal Bank of Scotland dropped 0.71%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.34% rise, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.35% gain, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.29% increase.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to publish government data on durable goods orders, as well as a weekly report on unemployment claims and revised data on second quarter economic growth. The country was also to produce industry data on pending homes sales.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 edged up 0.12%, France’s CAC 40 added 0.24%, while Germany’s DAX 30 rose 0.26%.
Germany's Federal Statistics Office said the number of unemployed people rose by a seasonally adjusted 9,000 in September, compared to expectations for an increase of 10,000.
Germany’s unemployment rate held steady at 6.8% in September, in line with expectations.
Meanwhile, investors eyed events in Spain later Thursday, as the government was to present its draft budget for next year and announce structural reforms, while the results of bank stress tests are due on Friday.
Demonstrators clashed with police on the streets of Athens and Madrid this week in an upsurge of popular anger at new austerity measures being imposed on two of the euro zone's most vulnerable economies.
Financial stocks were mixed, as Germany saw shares in Deutsche Bank decline 0.23% and Commerzbank jump 1.27%, while France's BNP Paribas dipped 0.04% and Societe Generale rose 0.40%.
Separately, Credit Agricole advanced 1.46% after its CEO said it may sell its Emporiki Greek unit.
Meanwhile, peripheral lenders were broadly lower, as shares in Spain's BBVA and Banco Santander dropped 0.87% and 0.57%, while Italian banks Intesa Sanpaolo and Unicredit fell 0.08% and 0.72%.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 added 0.13%, supported by strong gains in mining and oil stocks, while final data showed that the U.K.'s economy contracted less-than-expected in the second quarter.
Mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton advanced 1.55% and 0.47%, while copper producers Xstrata and Kazakhmys gained 1.36% and 0.29% respectively.
Oil major Anglo American also gained ground, with shares rallying 1.54%, while BP climbed 0.53%.
Elsewhere, U.K. lenders were mixed. Shares in HSBC Holdings advanced 0.97% and Barclays jumped 0.93%, while Lloyds Banking climbed 0.85% and the Royal Bank of Scotland dropped 0.71%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.34% rise, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.35% gain, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.29% increase.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to publish government data on durable goods orders, as well as a weekly report on unemployment claims and revised data on second quarter economic growth. The country was also to produce industry data on pending homes sales.