Investing.com - European stocks were mixed on Friday, as markets were still jittery ahead of a highly-anticipated vote on U.S. President Donald Trump’s healthcare bill and as investors eyed the release of a string of euro zone manufacturing and service sector data.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 edged down 0.18%, France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.21%, while Germany’s DAX 30 inched up 0.03%.
Investors remained cautious after Trump warned House Republican lawmakers that he will leave Obamacare in place and move on to tax reform if they do not approve new healthcare legislation in a vote on Friday.
The healthcare vote is seen by investors as a test of his ability to implement key campaign promises such as tax reform and infrastructure spending.
Earlier Friday, data showed that German private sector growth hit its strongest level in nearly six years.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) and BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) lost 0.07% and 0.51%, while Germany’s Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) dipped 0.04%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) and Unicredit (MI:CRDI) slipped 0.24% and 0.35% respectively, while Spanish banks Banco Santander (MC:SAN) and BBVA (MC:BBVA) declined 0.40% and 0.51%.
Elsewhere, Sanofi (PA:SASY) SA slid 0.71% despite reports the French drugmaker struck a deal to buy Flexion and the pain drug it now has under review at the FDA.
On the upside, Merck & Company (NYSE:MRK) Inc (SIX:MRKUSD) saw shares jump 1.43% after it and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) got their first FDA approval of the checkpoint inhibitor avelumab, making it the fourth drug in this category to make it to the market.
In London, FTSE 100 inched up 0.03%, helped by Smiths Group (LON:SMIN), whose shares surged 4.31% after the company said its pretax profit more than doubled in the six months ended January 31, helped by a rise in sales and profit from a disposal.
National Grid (LON:NG) added to gains, with shares advancing 0.98% following reports International Public Partnership expects its investment in the company’s gas distribution network to be completed in the next few weeks.
Last December, International Public Partnership said that it was part of a consortium to buy a 61% stake in National Grid's gas distribution network and that it will invest up to £275 million.
Mining stocks were also broadly higher on the commodity-heavy index. Shares in BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) climbed 0.44% and Glencore (LON:GLEN) advanced 0.68%, while Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) jumped 0.93%.
In the financial sector, stocks were mostly higher as Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) eased up 0.06% and HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) gained 0.29%, while Barclays (LON:BARC) rallied 1.05%. The Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) underperformed however, with shares down 0.54%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.25% rise, S&P 500 futures showed a 0.19% gain, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.26% increase.