Investing.com - European stocks were mixed to higher on Friday, after positive German consumer climate data, as investors were awaiting the release of an additional report out of Germany on business climate.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 added 0.14%, France’s CAC 40 rose 0.34%, while Germany’s DAX 30 edged up 0.05%.
Data showed that the Gfk German consumer climate index rose unexpectedly in May, ticking up to 6.5 from a reading of 6.2 the previous month. Analysts had expected the index to remain unchanged this month.
Investors remained cautious after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday that the bank could begin tapering its bond-buying program.
In testimony to the U.S. Joint Economic Committee on Wednesday, Fed Chairman Bernanke said a decision to scale back the Fed’s asset purchase program could be taken in the "next few meetings" if economic data continued to improve.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders Societe Generale and BNP Paribas shed 0.13% and 0.36%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank tumbled 1.64%.
Among peripheral lenders, Spanish banks BBVA and Banco Santander declined 0.42% and 0.37% respectively, while Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo an Unicredit overperformed on the other hand, gaining 0.86% and 0.48%.
Elsewhere, Novo Nordisk climbed 0.84% after the Danish drugmaker said tests with its liraglutide treatment showed an 8% weight-loss for overweight patients without diabetes, compared with a 2.6% weight loss for a placebo.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 dipped 0.06%, weighed by losses in mining stocks.
Shares in Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton retreated 0.49% and 0.71% respectively, while Anglo American inched 0.02%.
Meanwhile, financial stocks were also broadly lower. Lloyds Banking edged down 0.08% and the Royal Bank of Scotland fell 0.12%, while HSBC Holdings retreated 0.88%. Barclays trended higher however, up 0.35%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a moderately lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.07% dip, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.17% decline, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.13% fall.
Later in the day, the Ifo Institute was to release a closely watched report on German business climate, while the U.S. was to publish government data on durable goods orders.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 added 0.14%, France’s CAC 40 rose 0.34%, while Germany’s DAX 30 edged up 0.05%.
Data showed that the Gfk German consumer climate index rose unexpectedly in May, ticking up to 6.5 from a reading of 6.2 the previous month. Analysts had expected the index to remain unchanged this month.
Investors remained cautious after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday that the bank could begin tapering its bond-buying program.
In testimony to the U.S. Joint Economic Committee on Wednesday, Fed Chairman Bernanke said a decision to scale back the Fed’s asset purchase program could be taken in the "next few meetings" if economic data continued to improve.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders Societe Generale and BNP Paribas shed 0.13% and 0.36%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank tumbled 1.64%.
Among peripheral lenders, Spanish banks BBVA and Banco Santander declined 0.42% and 0.37% respectively, while Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo an Unicredit overperformed on the other hand, gaining 0.86% and 0.48%.
Elsewhere, Novo Nordisk climbed 0.84% after the Danish drugmaker said tests with its liraglutide treatment showed an 8% weight-loss for overweight patients without diabetes, compared with a 2.6% weight loss for a placebo.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 dipped 0.06%, weighed by losses in mining stocks.
Shares in Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton retreated 0.49% and 0.71% respectively, while Anglo American inched 0.02%.
Meanwhile, financial stocks were also broadly lower. Lloyds Banking edged down 0.08% and the Royal Bank of Scotland fell 0.12%, while HSBC Holdings retreated 0.88%. Barclays trended higher however, up 0.35%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a moderately lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.07% dip, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.17% decline, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.13% fall.
Later in the day, the Ifo Institute was to release a closely watched report on German business climate, while the U.S. was to publish government data on durable goods orders.