Investing.com - European stocks were mixed to lower on Thursday, as Wednesday's disappointing euro zone data continued to weigh on investor confidence.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 shed 0.32%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.40%, while Germany’s DAX 30 slipped 0.16%.
Investors remained cautious after official data on Wednesday showed that the euro zone economy contracted by 0.2% in the first quarter, bringing the annualized rate of contraction to 0.9%.
Germany’s economy posted growth of 0.1%, below expectations for a 0.3% increase, while the French economy contracted by a larger than expected 0.2%.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders Societe Generale and BNP Paribas declined 0.46% and 1.27%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank tumbled 0.90% and 1.08%.
Peripheral lenders added to losses, with Spanish banks Banco Santander and BBVA retreating 0.74% and 0.94%, while Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo and Unicredit slid 0.68% and 0.76% respectively.
Elsewhere, Zurich Insurance plummeted 3.28% after Switzerland’s biggest insurer reported first-quarter net income of USD1.06 billion, missing analysts' estimates.
Vivendi tumbled 1.27% amid reports Activision has halted discussions on buying back shares held by the French mass media company after a disagreement on price.
In London, FTSE 100 edged up 0.09%.
Financial stocks were mixed, as shares in Lloyds Banking advanced 0.94% and Barclays jumped 0.90%, while HSBC Holdings and the Royal Bank of Scotland slipped 0.24% and 0.23%.
Mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto were trending lower, sliding 0.38% and 0.53% respectively, while Anglo American edged down 0.23%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a moderately lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.12% fall, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.17% decline, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.06% dip.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce official data on building permits, housing starts, consumer inflation and initial jobless claims, as well as the Philly Fed manufacturing index.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 shed 0.32%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.40%, while Germany’s DAX 30 slipped 0.16%.
Investors remained cautious after official data on Wednesday showed that the euro zone economy contracted by 0.2% in the first quarter, bringing the annualized rate of contraction to 0.9%.
Germany’s economy posted growth of 0.1%, below expectations for a 0.3% increase, while the French economy contracted by a larger than expected 0.2%.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders Societe Generale and BNP Paribas declined 0.46% and 1.27%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank tumbled 0.90% and 1.08%.
Peripheral lenders added to losses, with Spanish banks Banco Santander and BBVA retreating 0.74% and 0.94%, while Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo and Unicredit slid 0.68% and 0.76% respectively.
Elsewhere, Zurich Insurance plummeted 3.28% after Switzerland’s biggest insurer reported first-quarter net income of USD1.06 billion, missing analysts' estimates.
Vivendi tumbled 1.27% amid reports Activision has halted discussions on buying back shares held by the French mass media company after a disagreement on price.
In London, FTSE 100 edged up 0.09%.
Financial stocks were mixed, as shares in Lloyds Banking advanced 0.94% and Barclays jumped 0.90%, while HSBC Holdings and the Royal Bank of Scotland slipped 0.24% and 0.23%.
Mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto were trending lower, sliding 0.38% and 0.53% respectively, while Anglo American edged down 0.23%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a moderately lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.12% fall, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.17% decline, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.06% dip.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce official data on building permits, housing starts, consumer inflation and initial jobless claims, as well as the Philly Fed manufacturing index.