Investing.com - European stocks closed mixed Thursday, as bullish U.S. data counteracted Spanish debt fears.
At the close of European trade, the EURO STOXX 50 fell 0.29%, France’s CAC 40 gave back 0.44%, while Germany’s DAX 30 climbed 0.10%.
Helping stocks move higher, U.S. durable goods orders rebounded from the previous month’s sharp drop in September, hitting the highest level since January 2010, while core orders rose more-than-expected, official data showed on Thursday.
In a report, the U.S. Census Bureau said that total durable goods orders, which include transportation items, jumped by a seasonally adjusted 9.9% in September, compared to expectations for a 7.1% gain.
Durable goods for August were revised to a 13.1% drop from a previously reported decline of 13.2%.
Durable goods are typically bulky or heavy products designed to last at three years, such as trains, computers or furniture.
Investors remained cautious however amid ongoing uncertainty over whether Spain is moving closer to formally requesting a bailout from its euro zone partners and activating the European Central Bank’s bond purchasing plan.
Financial stocks remained mostly higher, as shares in French lenders BNP Paribas and Societe Generale rose 0.15% and 0.48%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank advanced 1.37%.
Peripheral lenders turned lower on the other hand, as shares in Spain's BBVA and Banco Santander declined 1.24% and 0.50%, while Italy's Unicredit tumbled 1.71%.
Meanwhile, BASF held earlier gains, with shares surging 1.82% after saying earnings before interest, taxes and one-off items increased 5.4% to EUR2.07 billion, beating the average analyst forecast of EUR1.94 billion.
The company also reiterated its full-year target for earnings and sales to increase, while cutting its forecast for economic growth.
Adding to gains, the world’s second-biggest consumer-goods company, Unilever rallied 3.86% after saying third-quarter revenue grew 5.9%, beating analysts' estimates.
In London, FTSE 100 was flat to slightly higher on the session, as U.K. lenders pushed higher, while preliminary data showed that economic growth in the U.K. expanded more-than-expected in the third quarter.
Shares in the Royal Bank of Scotland jumped 1.38% and HSBC Holdings advanced 1.43%, while Barclays and Lloyds Banking surged 2.12% and 2.52% respectively.
Mining stocks added to gains, as shares in Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton climbed 0.46% and 0.43%, while copper producer Xstrata advanced 0.55%.
In the U.S., equity markets traded down midsession with the Dow off 0.22%, the S&P 500 lower by 0.02% and the tech heavy Nasdaq down 0.12%.
Investors are awaiting the U.S. GDP and consumer sentiment on Friday.
At the close of European trade, the EURO STOXX 50 fell 0.29%, France’s CAC 40 gave back 0.44%, while Germany’s DAX 30 climbed 0.10%.
Helping stocks move higher, U.S. durable goods orders rebounded from the previous month’s sharp drop in September, hitting the highest level since January 2010, while core orders rose more-than-expected, official data showed on Thursday.
In a report, the U.S. Census Bureau said that total durable goods orders, which include transportation items, jumped by a seasonally adjusted 9.9% in September, compared to expectations for a 7.1% gain.
Durable goods for August were revised to a 13.1% drop from a previously reported decline of 13.2%.
Durable goods are typically bulky or heavy products designed to last at three years, such as trains, computers or furniture.
Investors remained cautious however amid ongoing uncertainty over whether Spain is moving closer to formally requesting a bailout from its euro zone partners and activating the European Central Bank’s bond purchasing plan.
Financial stocks remained mostly higher, as shares in French lenders BNP Paribas and Societe Generale rose 0.15% and 0.48%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank advanced 1.37%.
Peripheral lenders turned lower on the other hand, as shares in Spain's BBVA and Banco Santander declined 1.24% and 0.50%, while Italy's Unicredit tumbled 1.71%.
Meanwhile, BASF held earlier gains, with shares surging 1.82% after saying earnings before interest, taxes and one-off items increased 5.4% to EUR2.07 billion, beating the average analyst forecast of EUR1.94 billion.
The company also reiterated its full-year target for earnings and sales to increase, while cutting its forecast for economic growth.
Adding to gains, the world’s second-biggest consumer-goods company, Unilever rallied 3.86% after saying third-quarter revenue grew 5.9%, beating analysts' estimates.
In London, FTSE 100 was flat to slightly higher on the session, as U.K. lenders pushed higher, while preliminary data showed that economic growth in the U.K. expanded more-than-expected in the third quarter.
Shares in the Royal Bank of Scotland jumped 1.38% and HSBC Holdings advanced 1.43%, while Barclays and Lloyds Banking surged 2.12% and 2.52% respectively.
Mining stocks added to gains, as shares in Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton climbed 0.46% and 0.43%, while copper producer Xstrata advanced 0.55%.
In the U.S., equity markets traded down midsession with the Dow off 0.22%, the S&P 500 lower by 0.02% and the tech heavy Nasdaq down 0.12%.
Investors are awaiting the U.S. GDP and consumer sentiment on Friday.