Investing.com - European stocks were mixed on Thursday, as investors grew cautious ahead of the European Central Bank’s policy meeting, scheduled later in the day.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 edged up 0.16%, France’s CAC 40 inched 0.6% higher, while Germany’s DAX 30 added 0.18%.
Later Thursday, the ECB was expected to leave its monetary policy unchanged. However, market participants hoped to get more clues on the central bank’s next policy moves at ECB President Mario Draghi’s press conference, scheduled after the policy statement.
Financial stocks were broadly higher, as French lender BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) rose 0.26%, while Germany’s Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) both gained 0.34%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy’s Unicredit (MI:CRDI) and Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) advanced 0.54% and 0.83%, while Spanish banks Banco Santander (MC:SAN) and BBVA (MC:BBVA) climbed 0.53% and 0.96%.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG (BE:LHABy) added to gains, with shares up 2.45% after the German airliner raised its profit target for the year on Wednesday.
On the downside, Publicis Groupe SA (PA:PUBP) plummeted 4.98% after saying that sales in the three months to September 30 declined 0.4% due to lost client accounts.
However, the French company confirmed its full-year guidance for 2016.
Swiss food group Nestle SA (SIX:NESN) lost 1.34% after reporting sales for the first nine months of the year below market expectations and lowering its full-year guidance.
In London, FTSE 100 edged down 0.13%, weighed by Travis Perkins (LON:TPK), whose shares tumbled 2.46% after the supplier of building materials announced plans to close more than 30 branches, putting 600 jobs at risk.
The news came after the company warned on full-year profit on Wednesday, due to a poor performance in its plumbing and heating division.
On the upside, IAG (LON:ICAG) shares surged 2.57% despite news the insurer will have to repay $6.8 million due to overcharging linked to the New South Wales emergency services levy.
Mining stocks were also mostly higher on the commodity-heavy index. Anglo American (LON:AAL) rose 0.38% and BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) gained 0.86%, while Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) advanced 0.94%.
In the financial sector, stocks were mixed. Shares in Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) dropped 0.49% and HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) tumbled 1.15%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) gained 0.50% and Barclays (LON:BARC) jumped 1.16%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady to higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.10% rise, S&P 500 futures showed a 0.06% uptick, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.09% gain.