Investing.com - European markets opened lower on Friday, as fresh political turmoil in Spain dampened market sentiment and as trading volumes were expected to remain thin ahead of the Christmas holiday.
London's FTSE 100 was due to close at midday, with other European markets closing shortly afterwards.
The EURO STOXX 50 slid 0.34%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.30%, while Germany’s DAX 30 was down 0.30% by 03:45 a.m. ET (07:45 GMT).
Markets were jittery after a Catalan vote on Thursday resulted in a victory for separatists, sparking fresh concerns over political turmoil in Spain.
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said on Friday that the win was a victory of the "Catalan republic" over the Spanish state.
Investors were also still digesting recent news in the U.S. The House of Representatives gave final approval on Wednesday to the biggest U.S. tax overhaul in 30 years, marking President Donald Trump's first political victory.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lender BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) slipped 0.17%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) and Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) lost 0.09% and 0.71%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) and Unicredit (MI:CRDI) retreated 0.64% and 0.68% respectively, while Spanish banks Banco Santander (MC:SAN) and BBVA (MC:BBVA) tumbled 1.61% and 1.47%.
Elsewhere, shares in Roche Holding (SIX:ROG) AG edged down 0.08% after it and Ignyta Inc (SG:2I4) announced Friday that they had entered into a definitive merger agreement.
Under the agreement, Roche will fully acquire the biotech firm for $27.00 per share. Ignyta shares skyrocketed 71.09% following the news.
In London, FTSE 100 inched up 0.06%, led by Next PLC (LON:NXT), whose shares surged 2.08%.
Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HIK) was also on the upside, with shares rallying 1.37%. The group made headlines earlier in the week, when it won has won exclusive rights to distribute and market its third biosimilar drug in the Middle East and North African markets.
Meanwhile, mining stocks were broadly lower on the commodity-heavy index. Shares in BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) edged down 0.20% and Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) slipped 0.24%, while rival company Fresnillo (LON:FRES) fell 0.29%.
Financial stocks added to losses, as HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) dipped 0.03% and the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) declined 0.61%, while Barclays (LON:BARC) retreated 0.86%. Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) went in the opposite direction however and jumped 0.92%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady to higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.09% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.09% rise, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.07% uptick.