Investing.com - European stocks slid lower on Thursday, as markets digested the European Central Bank's policy statement released on Wednesday and investors continued to focus on whether or not the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in the coming months.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 declined 0.58%, France’s CAC 40 shed 0.32%, while Germany’s DAX 30 dropped 0.71%.
European equities had found support after the ECB said Wednesday it expects to fully implement its trillion euro quantitative easing program.
ECB President Mario Draghi played down speculation that recent signs of a recovery in the euro zone economy could see the bank scale back its buying program. Draghi also played down concerns that the asset purchase program will struggle to find enough euro zone bonds to buy.
But investors remained cautious after downbeat U.S. industrial production data on Wednesday added to speculation that the Fed could delay hiking interest rates until late 2015, instead of tightening midyear.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders Societe Generale (PARIS:SOGN) and BNP Paribas (PARIS:BNPP) declined 0.09% and 0.51%, while Germany's Commerzbank (XETRA:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (XETRA:DBKGn) dropped 0.52% and 0.79%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo (MILAN:ISP) and Unicredit (MILAN:CRDI) slid 0.35% and 0.66% respectively, while Spanish banks BBVA (MADRID:BBVA) and Banco Santander (MADRID:SAN) retreated 0.75% and 0.89%.
Elsewhere, Airbus Group (PARIS:AIR) NV surged 2.09% after offering a buyback of as much as 10% of its shares.
In London, FTSE 100 slipped 0.23%.
Financial stocks were mixed, as Lloyds Banking (LONDON:LLOY) slid 0.35% and HSBC Holdings (LONDON:HSBA) retreated 0.95%, while Barclays (LONDON:BARC) gained 0.40% and the Royal Bank of Scotland (LONDON:RBS) advanced 0.88%.
Meanwhile, mining stocks were mostly higher, with shares in Bhp Billiton (LONDON:BLT) and Glencore Xstrata (LONDON:GLEN) advancing 0.75% and 1.68% respectively, while Randgold Resources (LONDON:RRS) and Fresnillo (LONDON:FRES) rallied 1.40% and 1.63%.
SABMiller (LONDON:SAB) Plc added to gains, jumping 1.96% after the world’s second-biggest brewer posted better-than-expected quarterly beer sales.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.02% dip, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.03% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.01% uptick.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release a string of reports, including jobless claims, building permits, housing starts and manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region.