Investing.com - European stocks were mostly higher in choppy trade on Monday as investors digested a failed coup attempt in Turkey, while a multibillion dollar takeover offer boosted sentiment in the U.K.
During European morning trade, the Euro Stoxx 50 gained 0.23%, France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.14%, while Germany’s DAX 30 traded up 0.14%.
Investors showed caution in the wake of a failed military coup in Turkey over the weekend.
The Turkish government said on Sunday it was in full control of the country and economy after thwarting an apparent military coup to topple President Tayyip Erdogan late on Friday.
The government widened a crackdown on suspected supporters of the failed coup over the weekend, taking the number of people rounded up in the armed forces and judiciary to 6,000.
Meanwhile, oil prices struggled for direction in European trade on Monday, flipping between gains and losses amid signs of an ongoing recovery in U.S. drilling activity.
Energy stocks were broadly lower, as French oil and gas major Total SA (PA:TOTF) slipped 0.03% and Italy’s ENI (MI:ENI) traded flat, while Norwegian rival Statoil (OL:STL) fell 0.56%.
Financial stocks moved higher, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) rose 0.34% and 0.71%, while Germany’s Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) gained 0.27% and 1.19%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) and Unicredit (MI:CRDI) advanced 0.10% and 1.19% respectively, while Spanish banks Banco Santander (MC:SAN) advanced 0.39%, while BBVA (MC:BBVA), a major shareholder in Turkey’s second-largest bank, slumped 1.23%.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 gained 0.34%, boosted by news that Japan’s Softbank Corp. (T:9984) would acquire the U.K.’s largest tech firm ARM Holdings PLC (LON:ARM) for in a £24.3 billion ($32.2 billion) deal.
Shares in Glencore (LON:GLEN) lost 1.17% and Anglo American (LON:AAL) fell 1.99%, while BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) and Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) traded down 2.39% and 1.32% respectively.
Energy stocks added to losses, as BP (LON:BP) fell 0.54% but rival Royal Dutch Shell (LON:RDSa) gained 1.25%.
Financial stocks were also higher, with shares in HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) up 0.82% and the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) rallying 1.68%, and Barclays (LON:BARC) gaining 0.23%. Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) broke the general rule, giving up 1.14%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.26% rise, S&P 500 futures a 0.30% gain, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.27% increase.