Investing.com – European stock markets were mixed on Thursday, ahead of a European Central Bank policy board meeting, while U.S. futures indexes pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 shed 0.34%, France’s CAC 40 dropped 0.91%, while Germany's DAX added 0.12%.
Shares in the financial sector were mixed after Spain’s largest lender Banco Santander said that fourth quarter profit dropped by 4.6% to EUR2.1 billion. However, revenue for the quarter rose by 7.5% to EUR7.33 billion, beating expectations for revenue of EUR7.25 billion.
Following the news, the lender saw shares dip 0.59%, while shares in rival BBVA slumped 1.55%. France’s second biggest bank Societe Generale saw shares shed 1.37%, while shares in Italy’s largest lender Unicredit jumped 1.38% and German banking giant Deutsche Bank saw shares add 1.35%.
Meanwhile, shares in French utility company Suez Environnement sank 1.46% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock.
In London, the commodity-heavy FTSE 100 was down 0.13% as shares in oil giant Royal Dutch Shell tumbled 3.35% after releasing its fourth quarter earnings report.
The oil major said that earnings in the quarter totaled GBP2.53 billion, falling short of market expectations for earnings of GBP2.93 billion.
Chief Executive Peter Voser said that, “earnings were impacted by weak refining margins, pressure on certain regional natural gas prices, and volatility in marketing margins as a result of rising oil prices”.
Elsewhere, shares in Europe’s second largest oil producer British Petroleum slumped 1.18%, while natural gas producer BG Group dropped 2.02%.
The outlook for U.S. equity markets, meanwhile, was mixed ahead of earnings reports from credit card giant MasterCard and from media conglomerate Viacom.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a gain of 0.08%, S&P 500 futures indicated a rise of 0.03%, while the Nasdaq 100 futures pointed to loss of 0.03%.
Later in the day, the European Central Bank was to announce its minimum bid rate and give its closely watched monthly press conference.
Meanwhile, the U.S. was to publish its weekly report on initial jobless claims as well as data on labor costs, productivity and factory orders. In addition, the Institute of Supply Management was to publish its non-manufacturing PMI.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 shed 0.34%, France’s CAC 40 dropped 0.91%, while Germany's DAX added 0.12%.
Shares in the financial sector were mixed after Spain’s largest lender Banco Santander said that fourth quarter profit dropped by 4.6% to EUR2.1 billion. However, revenue for the quarter rose by 7.5% to EUR7.33 billion, beating expectations for revenue of EUR7.25 billion.
Following the news, the lender saw shares dip 0.59%, while shares in rival BBVA slumped 1.55%. France’s second biggest bank Societe Generale saw shares shed 1.37%, while shares in Italy’s largest lender Unicredit jumped 1.38% and German banking giant Deutsche Bank saw shares add 1.35%.
Meanwhile, shares in French utility company Suez Environnement sank 1.46% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock.
In London, the commodity-heavy FTSE 100 was down 0.13% as shares in oil giant Royal Dutch Shell tumbled 3.35% after releasing its fourth quarter earnings report.
The oil major said that earnings in the quarter totaled GBP2.53 billion, falling short of market expectations for earnings of GBP2.93 billion.
Chief Executive Peter Voser said that, “earnings were impacted by weak refining margins, pressure on certain regional natural gas prices, and volatility in marketing margins as a result of rising oil prices”.
Elsewhere, shares in Europe’s second largest oil producer British Petroleum slumped 1.18%, while natural gas producer BG Group dropped 2.02%.
The outlook for U.S. equity markets, meanwhile, was mixed ahead of earnings reports from credit card giant MasterCard and from media conglomerate Viacom.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a gain of 0.08%, S&P 500 futures indicated a rise of 0.03%, while the Nasdaq 100 futures pointed to loss of 0.03%.
Later in the day, the European Central Bank was to announce its minimum bid rate and give its closely watched monthly press conference.
Meanwhile, the U.S. was to publish its weekly report on initial jobless claims as well as data on labor costs, productivity and factory orders. In addition, the Institute of Supply Management was to publish its non-manufacturing PMI.