Investing.com - European stocks were mixed on Thursday, as markets eyed the European Central Bank's upcoming policy statement amid heightened expectations for additional easing measures to be announced.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 inched up 0.05%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.17%, while Germany’s DAX 30 added 0.12%.
European equities remained supported as low levels of inflation and a faltering economic recovery added to pressure on the ECB to step up measures to spur growth and stave off the threat of deflation.
In addition, surveys of euro zone private sector activity on Wednesday indicated that the region would post only marginal economic growth in the fourth quarter.
The composite index, which covers the manufacturing and service sectors across the currency bloc, fell to 51.1 last month from 52.1 in October.
Financial stocks were steady to higher, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PARIS:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PARIS:SOGN) inched up 0.06% and 0.02%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank (XETRA:DBKGn) and Commerzbank (XETRA:CBKG) rose 0.39% and 0.09%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Unicredit (MILAN:CRDI) and Intesa Sanpaolo added 0.13% and 0.53%, while Spanish bank BBVA gained 0.39%.
Elsewhere, Areva (PARIS:AREVA) shares were up 0.40% following news the French nuclear-reactor maker's Chief Executive Officer Luc Oursel had died.
In London, FTSE 100 slipped 0.15%, weighed by GlaxoSmithKline, down 1.46% after the drugmaker announced plans to lay off hundreds of its U.S. workers to reduce costs and to streamline its research and drug-marketing operations by the end of 2015.
On the upside, SKY PLC (LONDON:SKYB) gained 0.79% after agreeing to sell a controlling stake in its online betting business to CVC Capital Partners Ltd. for about £720 million.
The U.K. satellite broadcasting company will reportedly receive £600 million on completion of the deal, which values Sky Betting & Gaming at £800 million.
Ryanair Hldgs (LONDON:RYA) added to gains, with shares soaring 8% after the low-cost airliner raised its full-year profit forecast for the third time this year. Rival company EasyJet Plc (LONDON:EZJ) was up 3.57% following the news.
Meanwhile, financial stocks were mostly higher, as Barclays and HSBC Holdings (LONDON:HSBA) rose 0.23% and 0.24% respectively, while the Royal Bank of Scotland (LONDON:RBS) advanced 0.66%. Lloyds Banking (LONDON:LLOY) was down only 0.01%.
Also in the U.K., the Bank of England was set to announce its benchmark interest rate later Thursday.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.01% uptick, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.03% dip, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.04% gain.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release the weekly report on initial jobless claims.