Investing.com - European stocks were mixed on Monday, as markets were jittery ahead of final data on euro zone manufacturing activity and as Greek debt talks continued.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 slid 0.42%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.20%, while Germany’s DAX 30 added 0.28%.
Earlier Monday, market research group Markit said that Spain's final manufacturing purchasing managers' index ticked down to 54.2 in April from 54.3 in March, compared to expectations for a rise to 54.7.
Investors also remained cautious after data showed that Chinese manufacturing activity contracted at the fastest rate in a year in April, adding to concerns over a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy.
European equity markets found some support however, as Greece and its creditors were said to be targeting a technical agreement in May, with a successful conclusion of the next round of talks by Wednesday.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders Societe Generale (PARIS:SOGN) and BNP Paribas (PARIS:BNPP) fell 0.04% and 0.64%, while Germany's Commerzbank (XETRA:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (XETRA:DBKGn) declined 0.41% and 1.02%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo (MILAN:ISP) and Unicredit (MILAN:CRDI) dropped 0.70% and 0.82% respectively, while Spanish banks BBVA (MADRID:BBVA) and Banco Santander (MADRID:SAN) tumbled 1.01% and 1.22%.
Elsewhere, Sanofi (PARIS:SASY) saw shares drop 0.73% after the French drugmaker said last week that sales of its diabetes drug Lantus will probably decline this year after it cut the price of its top insulin product in the U.S.
In London, FTSE 100 rose 0.36%, boosted by sharp gains in the mining sector.
Shares in Glencore Xstrata (LONDON:GLEN) advanced 0.77% and Bhp Billiton (LONDON:BLT) surged 2.98%, while rivals Rio Tinto (LONDON:RIO) and Anglo American (LONDON:AAL) soared 3.88% and 5.43% respectively.
Meanwhile, financial stocks were mixed. HSBC Holdings (LONDON:HSBA) fell 0.28% and Barclays (LONDON:BARC) slid 0.37%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland (LONDON:RBS) saw shares gain 0.38% and Lloyds Banking (LONDON:LLOY) led shares on the index with shares rallying 7.09%.
Lloyds was boosted after reporting on Friday that first-quarter underlying profit climbed 21% to £2.178 billion.
On the downside, Severn Trent plummeted 1.93% after the stock's "hold" rating was reaffirmed by Societe Generale.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.02% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.01% uptick, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.04% dip.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to publish data on factory orders.