Investing.com - European markets opened mostly higher on Monday, despite ongoing political tensions in Spain and ahead of a fresh round of talks between the UK and the European Union on the Brexit process.
The EURO STOXX 50 gained 0.42%, France’s CAC 40 rose 0.31%, while Germany’s DAX 30 added 0.26% and Spain's IBEX 35 was up 0.97% by 03:40 a.m. ET (07:40 GMT).
Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Catalonia's capital Barcelona over the weekend to protest against the local independence movement.
Real estate firm Inmobiliaria Colonial SA (MC:COL) saw shares climb 0.65% and infrastructure company Abertis Infr (MC:ABE) advanced 0.64% after the two companies called meetings on Monday to discuss relocating their head offices outside of Catalonia.
The news came after Banco Sabadell, up 1.45%, announced late last weekthat its board decided to shift the company's legal home from Barcelon to southern Spain. Shortly after, Caixabank SA (MC:CABK), whose shares surged 1.91% Monday morning, said it would be relocating to Valencia.
Other financial stocks added to gains, as French lenders Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) and BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) rose 0.24% and 0.38%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) and Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) gained 0.21% and 1.35%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) and Unicredit (MI:CRDI) added 0.20% and 0.58%.
On the downside, Airbus Group (PA:AIR) shares tumbled 1.61% after the company's chief executive Tom Enders warned of turbulent times ahead for the European planemaker and called for the support of the company's 130,000 staff.
The comments came amid French and UK fraud and corruption investigations that could lead to large corporate penalties.
In London,FTSE 100 dipped 0.07%,ahead of a fifth round of Brexit talks between the UK and the EU in Brussels this week.
The talks are taking place amid growing concerns over a possible leadership battle in the UK following threats by a former Conservative Party chairman claiming the support of 30 lawmakers to topple British Prime Minister Theresa May.
Mining stocks were mixed on the commodity-heavy index. Shares in Glencore (LON:GLEN) dropped 0.72% and Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) lost 0.89%, while rivals Randgold Resources (LON:RRS) and Fresnillo (LON:FRES) jumped 0.94% and 1.26% respectively.
Financial stocks were mostly lower, as Barclays (LON:BARC) eased 0.08% and HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) fell 0.20%, while Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) slid 0.39% and the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) declined 0.48%.
Smith & Nephew (LON:SN) was one of the worst performers on the index, with shares down 0.93% following news the medical device maker's CEO Olivier Bohuon will retire by the end of next year after seven years at the group.
In the U.S., equity markets were to remain closed for the Columbus Day holiday.