Investing.com – European stock markets were mixed on Thursday after official data showed that number of U.S. workers filing claims for jobless benefits increased unexpectedly last week.
During European afternoon trade, Germany's DAX was down 0.02%; France’s CAC 40 gained 0.19%; Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.26%; and the EURO STOXX 50 slipped 0.14%.
Italy's FTSE MIB rose 0.12% after government data showed that the country's trade deficit narrowed further than expected in February.
Miners were among the worst performers, with BHP Billiton losing 1.09% and Rio Tinto shedding 0.87%.
Earlier in the day, Labor Department figures showed that initial jobless applications increased by 24,000 to 484,000 in the week ended April 10, the highest level since Feb. 20. Economists had expected a decline to 440,000.
The outlook for U.S. markets was quite dim: Dow Jones Industrial Average futures indicated a fall of 0.18%, S&P 500 Index futures pointed to a drop of 0.22% and Nasdaq 100 Index futures indicated a slide of 0.12%.
Meanwhile, the United States was set to release a flurry of other key data, including reports on the manufacturing sector and natural gas storage.
During European afternoon trade, Germany's DAX was down 0.02%; France’s CAC 40 gained 0.19%; Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.26%; and the EURO STOXX 50 slipped 0.14%.
Italy's FTSE MIB rose 0.12% after government data showed that the country's trade deficit narrowed further than expected in February.
Miners were among the worst performers, with BHP Billiton losing 1.09% and Rio Tinto shedding 0.87%.
Earlier in the day, Labor Department figures showed that initial jobless applications increased by 24,000 to 484,000 in the week ended April 10, the highest level since Feb. 20. Economists had expected a decline to 440,000.
The outlook for U.S. markets was quite dim: Dow Jones Industrial Average futures indicated a fall of 0.18%, S&P 500 Index futures pointed to a drop of 0.22% and Nasdaq 100 Index futures indicated a slide of 0.12%.
Meanwhile, the United States was set to release a flurry of other key data, including reports on the manufacturing sector and natural gas storage.