Investing.com - European stocks were steady to lower on Wednesday, despite Tuesday's upbeat German data and sustained hopes for additional easing measures by the European Central Bank.
During European morning trade, the DJ Euro Stoxx 50 edged down 0.13%, France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.14%, while Germany’s DAX dipped 0.01%.
European equities were boosted after the ZEW Centre for Economic Research said on Thursday that its index of German economic sentiment rose to 11.5 this month from minus 3.6 in October.
The report said that recent growth figures indicated that the economy is stabilizing, but warned that ongoing geopolitical tensions continue to be a risk.
Meanwhile, expectations for more stimulus measures from the ECB remained high after central bank President Mario Draghi said Monday that it could expand its asset purchase program to include government bonds.
Financial stocks were broadly higher, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PARIS:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PARIS:SOGN) rose 0.33% and 0.27%, while Germany's Commerzbank (XETRA:CBKG) climbed 0.45%.
BNP made headlines on Wednesday, as France's national financial prosecutor opened a preliminary probe into possible insider trading at the country's biggest bank.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Unicredit (MILAN:CRDI) and Intesa Sanpaolo (MILAN:ISP) advanced 0.22% and 0.73% respectively. Spanish banks Banco Santander (MADRID:SAN) and BBVA (MADRID:BBVA) underperformed however, sliding 0.30% and 0.37%.
Elsewhere, Soitec (PARIS:SOIT) saw shares surge 2.02% after the Frenc semiconductor company said that first half consolidated sales climbed 16.5% compared to the same period the previous year.
In London, FTSE 100 fell 0.10%, led by Intertek Group (LONDON:ITRK), down 9.05% after the product-testing company said it expected full-year organic revenue growth and operating margins to be in line with the previous year.
The company also reported an 0.7% decline in organic revenue growth for the first 10 months of the year.
Mining stocks added to losses, as Glencore Xstrata (LONDON:GLEN) tumbled 1.17% and Bhp Billiton (LONDON:BLT) plummeted 1.93%, while rivals Anglo American (LONDON:AAL) and Rio Tinto (LONDON:RIO) plunged 2.13% and 2.19% respectively.
ICAP (LONDON:IAP) was also on the downside, with shares diving 5.31% after the world's largest broker of transactions between banks said fiscal first-half pretax profit dropped 10%.
Meanwhile, U.K. lenders were mixed. Shares in Barclays (LONDON:BARC) slipped 0.15% and HSBC Holdings (LONDON:HSBA) declined 0.49%, while Lloyds Banking (LONDON:LLOY) rose 0.39% and the Royal Bank of Scotland (LONDON:RBS) gained 0.34%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a moderately lower open. The Dow 30 futures pointed to a 0.11% loss, S&P 500 futures signaled an 0.15% fall, while the NASDAQ 100 futures indicated a 0.07% dip.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release data on building permits and housing starts. In addition, the Federal Reserve was to publish the minutes of its October meeting.