Investing.com – European stocks were mixed on Wednesday, as shares in the financial sector led markets higher, while U.S. futures indexes pointed to a higher open on Wall Street.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 gained 0.46%; France’s CAC 40 rose 0.46%; while Germany's DAX was up 0.39%.
Shares in the financial sector advanced after Ireland agreed to work jointly with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund as part of a process which could lead to a bailout.
Shares in France’s second-largest bank Societe Generale leaped 1.92%, Spain’s biggest lender Banco Santander saw shares rise 1.37%, while shares in the Royal Bank of Scotland jumped 1.05%.
Meanwhile, shares in Swiss biopharmaceutical company Actelion soared 8.49% after a report said that the world’s largest biotechnology company Amgen was considering a takeover bid for the Swiss drugmaker.
Rival drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline leaped 2.02% after the U.S. Federal Drug Administration recommended approval of its Benlysta drug for the treatment of lupus.
Elsewhere within the sector, shares in global health-care provider Roche jumped 2.28% after it announced plans to cut 4,800 jobs as part of cost-cutting plans aimed at saving up to CHF 2.4 billion annually.
In London, the commodity-heavy FTSE 100 was down 0.09% with miners leading declines as metal prices retreated. Shares in the world’s largest gold producer African Barrick Gold tumbled 2.09%, while shares in copper producer Regency Mines plunged 3.09%.
But losses were limited as shares in the world’s largest broker of transactions between banks ICAP jumped 1.21% after it said fiscal first-half net profit rose by 4% to GBP 98 million, as revenue in the half grew by 9% to GBP 867 million.
The outlook for U.S. equity markets, meanwhile, was upbeat ahead of earnings reports from the second-largest U.S. discount retailer Target and from the third-largest U.S. wholesale club operator BJ’s Wholesale Club.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a rise of 0.25%, S&P 500 futures pointed to a gain of 0.34% and Nasdaq 100 futures indicated an increase of 0.42%.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 gained 0.46%; France’s CAC 40 rose 0.46%; while Germany's DAX was up 0.39%.
Shares in the financial sector advanced after Ireland agreed to work jointly with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund as part of a process which could lead to a bailout.
Shares in France’s second-largest bank Societe Generale leaped 1.92%, Spain’s biggest lender Banco Santander saw shares rise 1.37%, while shares in the Royal Bank of Scotland jumped 1.05%.
Meanwhile, shares in Swiss biopharmaceutical company Actelion soared 8.49% after a report said that the world’s largest biotechnology company Amgen was considering a takeover bid for the Swiss drugmaker.
Rival drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline leaped 2.02% after the U.S. Federal Drug Administration recommended approval of its Benlysta drug for the treatment of lupus.
Elsewhere within the sector, shares in global health-care provider Roche jumped 2.28% after it announced plans to cut 4,800 jobs as part of cost-cutting plans aimed at saving up to CHF 2.4 billion annually.
In London, the commodity-heavy FTSE 100 was down 0.09% with miners leading declines as metal prices retreated. Shares in the world’s largest gold producer African Barrick Gold tumbled 2.09%, while shares in copper producer Regency Mines plunged 3.09%.
But losses were limited as shares in the world’s largest broker of transactions between banks ICAP jumped 1.21% after it said fiscal first-half net profit rose by 4% to GBP 98 million, as revenue in the half grew by 9% to GBP 867 million.
The outlook for U.S. equity markets, meanwhile, was upbeat ahead of earnings reports from the second-largest U.S. discount retailer Target and from the third-largest U.S. wholesale club operator BJ’s Wholesale Club.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a rise of 0.25%, S&P 500 futures pointed to a gain of 0.34% and Nasdaq 100 futures indicated an increase of 0.42%.