Investing.com - Spain's benchmark index moved lower on Monday, amid fresh concerns over the country's political turmoil, while the other European markets were mixed.
The EURO STOXX 50 eased 0.08%, France’s CAC 40 inched up 0.07%, while Germany’s DAX 30 added 0.17% and Spain's IBEX 35 was down 0.67% by 03:40 a.m. ET (07:40 GMT).
Markets were jittery after Catalan President Carles Puigdemont failed to clarify whether he has declared the region's independence, in a letter to Madrid.
Spain had issued a Monday deadline for Puigdemont to clarify his intent, or face direct rule. Instead, the Catalan leader called for negotiation over the next two months.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) and BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) declined 0.41% and 0.21%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) slid 0.33%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) and Unicredit (MI:CRDI) dropped 0.52% and 0.47% respectively, while Spanish banks Banco Santander (MC:SAN) and BBVA (MC:BBVA) tumbled 0.93% and 1.30%.
Airbus Group (PA:AIR) added to losses, with shares down 0.45% after the company's Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders said he saw no reason to resign over ongoing UK and French corruption investigations, but would be ready to do so if needed.
On the upside, Bayer (DE:BAYGN) advanced 0.72% after the German drug and agrochemicals group on Friday announced the sale of selected crop science businesses to BASF for $7 billion as part of its strategy to complete acquisition of US biotech major Monsanto (NYSE:MON).
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 inched up 0.07%, supported by sharp gains in the mining sector.
Shares in BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) and Anglo American (LON:AAL) jumped 2.15% and 2.18% respectively, while Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) rallied 2.28% and Antofagasta (LON:ANTO) surged 3.05%.
Meanwhile, financial stocks were mostly lower. Shares in Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) fell 0.27% and Barclays (LON:BARC) slid 0.71%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) retreated 0.78%. HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) overperformed however, with shares gaining 0.39%.
GKN (LON:GKN) was also on the downside, as shares tumbled 1.51% after the engineering group warned that its full-year profits will only be “slightly above” last year’s levels, due to difficulties in its U.S. aerospace unit and costly legal claims.
Shares in Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC (LON:RB) declined 1.25% following reports the drugmaker will be exploring a number of financing options, including a multibillion-pound rights issue, when it enters the race for a division put up for sale by the U.S. rival Pfizer (NYSE:PFE).
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady to higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.05% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.01% uptick, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.11% rise.