Investing.com - European stocks were mixed to lower on Thursday, despite the release of positive German and French data, as markets awaited upcoming inflation and unemployment reports from the euro zone.
During European morning trade, the DJ Euro Stoxx 50 edged down 0.13%, France’s CAC 40 inched 0.04% higher, while Germany’s DAX dropped 0.51%.
Official data showed that German retail sales rose 1.3% in June, exceeding expectations for a 1.0% increase, after 0.2% fall in May whose figure was revised from a previously estimated 0.6% decline.
A separate report showed that French consumer spending rose 0.9% in June, compared to expectations for an uptick of 0.1%, after a 0.7% increase in May whose figure was revised from a previously estimated 1% gain.
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve's latest rate statement said that considerable slack still remains in the labor market, despite the recent improvement in jobs growth, and that rates will remain on hold for longer.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lender Societe Generale (PARIS:SOGN) slid 0.30%, while Germany's Commerzbank (XETRA:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (XETRA:DBKGn) tumbled 1.02% and 1.42%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Unicredit (MILAN:CRDI) and Intesa Sanpaolo (MILAN:ISP) dropped 0.62% and 0.79% respectively, while Spanish banks Banco Santander (MADRID:SAN) and BBVA (MADRID:BBVA) fell 0.14% and 0.75%.
Elsewhere, Adidas (XETRA:ADSGN) saw shares sink 11.61% after the sporting-goods maker lowered its forecast for 2014.
On the upside, Enel (MILAN:ENEI) rallied 1.22% as the Italian utility reported better-than-expected earnings and announced a structural reorganization.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 rose 0.20%, supported by energy and mining stocks.
Royal Dutch Shell A (LONDON:RDSa) jumped 3.37% and Royal Dutch Shell B (LONDON:RDSb) led gain on the index, surging 3.96%. Meanwhile, mining giants Rio Tinto (LONDON:RIO) and Bhp Billiton (LONDON:BLT) rose 0.36% and 0.46%, while rival Antofagasta (LONDON:ANTO) climbed 0.70%.
In the financial sector, stocks were broadly lower. Barclays (LONDON:BARC) slipped 0.18% and HSBC Holdings (LONDON:HSBA) declined 0.47%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland (LONDON:RBS) and Lloyds Banking (LONDON:LLOY) retreated 0.83% and 1.61% respectively.
Earlier Thursday, Lloyds Banking posted better-than-expected profit in the first half and forecast further improvement for the rest of the year.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow 30 futures pointed to a 0.21% fall, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.26% decline, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.18% slip.
Later in the day, the euro zone was to release preliminary data on consumer inflation and unemployment, while the U.S. was to release the weekly report on initial jobless claims, as well as data on manufacturing activity in the Chicago area.