Investing.com - Germany's benchmark index opened higher on Wednesday, as did most other European markets as investors braced for a fresh batch of corporate earnings reports and eyed a speech by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi.
The EURO STOXX 50 eased 0.08%, France’s CAC 40 edged 0.16% higher, while Germany’s DAX 30 added 0.16% and Spain's IBEX 35 was down 0.24% by 03:35 a.m. ET (07:35 GMT).
Spanish markets were jittery after tens of thousands of people gathered in Barcelona Tuesday evening for a candlelit protest after two leaders of the Catalan separatist movement were jailed.
Financial stocks were mixed, as Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) slipped 0.20% and BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) gained 0.30% in France, while Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) edged up 0.18% and Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) dropped 0.43% in Germany.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Unicredit (MI:CRDI) and Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) declined 0.83% and 0.45% respectively, while Spanish banks Banco Santander (MC:SAN) fell 0.23% and BBVA (MC:BBVA) slid 0.12%.
In earnings news, Akzo Nobel (AS:AKZO) reported a 13.3% decline in third quarter results, sending shares down 1.70%
The Dutch chemicals group also said that it expected positive developments for the EMEA region (except for the U.K.), Asia and North America.
Germany's Zalando SE (DE:ZALG) plummeted 3.18% after the German online fashion retailer said third-quarter profit margins fell sharply.
In London,FTSE 100 rose 0.24%,as market participants continued to focus on Brexit negotiations.
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May was expected to speak with fellow leaders of the European Union on Thursday.
Mining stocks were mixed on the commodity-heavy index. Shares in BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) added 0.18% and Glencore (LON:GLEN) climbed 0.56%, while Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) eased 0.08% and Fresnillo (LON:FRES) slipped 0.14%.
In the financial sector, stocks were mostly lower. The Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) edged 0.18% lower and Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) fell 0.21%, while Barclays (LON:BARC) slumped 0.39%. HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) overperformed however, as shares gained 0.30%.
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC (LON:RB) saw shares retreat 1.17% after the consumer goods company slashed its full-year sales outlook, following a fall in third-quarter sales.
J Sainsbury (OTC:JSAIY) PLC ORD (LON:SBRY) added to losses, with shares down 1.53% after the supermarket group announced plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady to higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.14% rise, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.02% uptick, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.02% gain.