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European stocks open mixed ahead of ECB policy decision; DAX up 0.22%

Published 07/21/2016, 03:33 AM
Updated 07/21/2016, 03:33 AM
© Reuters.  European stocks mixed in cautious trade before ECB statement

© Reuters. European stocks mixed in cautious trade before ECB statement

Investing.com - European stocks opened mixed on Thursday, as investors remained cautious ahead of the European Central Bank’s policy decision due later in the day.

During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 added 0.16%, France’s CAC 40 inched up 0.05%, while Germany’s DAX 30 rose 0.22%.

Market participants were focusing on the outcome of the ECB meeting, scheduled later Thursday, to see if policymakers will step up easing measures to offset the fallout from the Brexit vote.

Financial stocks were mixed, as French lenders Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) and BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) added 0.12% and 0.15%, while Germany’s Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) fell 0.22% and 0.29%.

Among peripheral lenders, Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) and Unicredit (MI:CRDI) rallied 1.09% and 1.42% respectively, while Spanish banks BBVA (MC:BBVA) and Banco Santander (MC:SAN) slipped 0.02% and 0.18%.

Elsewhere, Deutsche Lufthansa AG (BE:LHABy) plunged 7.93% after the German airline company cut its full-year profit target on Wednesday saying advance bookings to Europe had dropped due to "terrorist attacks in Europe and to greater political and economic uncertainty".

Swiss drugmaker Roche GS (SIX:ROG) added to losses, with shares declining 0.51% even after confirming its outlook for 2016 and reporting better than expected sales for the first half of the year.

On the upside, Swatch Group I (SIX:UHRN) jumped 1.73% after the Swiss watchmaker said net profit dove 52% in the first half but it expects a recovery in the second half of 2016.

In London, FTSE 100 declined 0.40%, led by easyJet (LON:EZJ), whose shares plummeted 6.12%, after the airliner said it could not predict the outcome for the end of the year amid growing security concerns, and weaker consumer confidence.

The company added that its fourth quarter performance would be affected by two events last week: the terrorist attack in Nice, France, and the failed coup attempt in Turkey.

Rival company and British Airways owner, International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (LON:ICAG), added to losses with shares retreating 3.19%.

Meanwhile, financial stocks were mostly higher. Shares in Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) eased up 0.09% and the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) added 0.10%, while Barclays (LON:BARC) gained 0.83%. HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) underperformed however, with shares sliding 0.61%.

In the mining sector, stocks were broadly higher. Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) advanced 0.92% and BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) rallied 1.21%, while Glencore (LON:GLEN) and Antofagasta (LON:ANTO) jumped 1.93% and 2.11% respectively.

In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady to higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.01% dip, S&P 500 futures a 0.02% uptick, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.09% gain.

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