Investing.com - European stocks remained lower on Thursday, after downbeat comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, while investors eyed a meeting of euro zone finance ministers where they are expected to confirm the next round of aid for Greece.
During European afternoon trade, the EURO STOXX 50 dipped 0.03%, France’s CAC 40 inched 0.04% lower, while Germany’s DAX 30 dropped 0.31%.
On Wednesday, the Fed said it would continue to purchase USD85 billion a month of government bonds and mortgage based securities in order to shore up the economic recovery.
The central bank also said that interest rates would remain close to zero as long as inflation forecasts remain near the bank’s 2% target and until the U.S. unemployment rate declines to 6.5% or less.
Meanwhile, euro zone finance ministers agreed a deal on rules for supervising euro zone banks ahead of a European Union summit later in the day.
Financial stocks were mixed, as shares in French lenders BNP Paribas and Societe Generale added 0.16% and 0.03%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank dropped 0.23% and 0.56%.
Peripheral lenders were higher on the other hand, with Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo climbed 0.79%, while Spain's BBVA and Banco Santander both advanced 0.34%.
Meanwhile, Renault rallied 2.32% after the French carmaker sold its remaining stake in Volvo to boost funding.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 slipped 0.20%, weighed by sharp losses in energy and oil stocks.
Centamin saw shares dive 39.72% after saying it halted gold-mining operations in Egypt.
Mining giant BHP Billiton eased 0.07%, while copper producers Xstrata and Kazakhmys declined 0.53% and 1.98% respectively.
Oil and gas giant Anglo American was also on the downside, with shares retreating 1.50%, while rival BP inched up 0.05%, erasing earlier losses.
Financial stocks were higher on the other hand. Shares in Lloyds Banking edged 0.06% higher and HSBC Holdings added 0.07%, while Barclays advanced 0.63%. The Royal Bank of Scotland turned lower however, sliding 0.33%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.04% loss, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.03% gain, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.04% fall.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce official data on retail sales and producer price inflation, as well as the weekly government report on initial jobless claims.
During European afternoon trade, the EURO STOXX 50 dipped 0.03%, France’s CAC 40 inched 0.04% lower, while Germany’s DAX 30 dropped 0.31%.
On Wednesday, the Fed said it would continue to purchase USD85 billion a month of government bonds and mortgage based securities in order to shore up the economic recovery.
The central bank also said that interest rates would remain close to zero as long as inflation forecasts remain near the bank’s 2% target and until the U.S. unemployment rate declines to 6.5% or less.
Meanwhile, euro zone finance ministers agreed a deal on rules for supervising euro zone banks ahead of a European Union summit later in the day.
Financial stocks were mixed, as shares in French lenders BNP Paribas and Societe Generale added 0.16% and 0.03%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank dropped 0.23% and 0.56%.
Peripheral lenders were higher on the other hand, with Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo climbed 0.79%, while Spain's BBVA and Banco Santander both advanced 0.34%.
Meanwhile, Renault rallied 2.32% after the French carmaker sold its remaining stake in Volvo to boost funding.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 slipped 0.20%, weighed by sharp losses in energy and oil stocks.
Centamin saw shares dive 39.72% after saying it halted gold-mining operations in Egypt.
Mining giant BHP Billiton eased 0.07%, while copper producers Xstrata and Kazakhmys declined 0.53% and 1.98% respectively.
Oil and gas giant Anglo American was also on the downside, with shares retreating 1.50%, while rival BP inched up 0.05%, erasing earlier losses.
Financial stocks were higher on the other hand. Shares in Lloyds Banking edged 0.06% higher and HSBC Holdings added 0.07%, while Barclays advanced 0.63%. The Royal Bank of Scotland turned lower however, sliding 0.33%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.04% loss, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.03% gain, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.04% fall.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to produce official data on retail sales and producer price inflation, as well as the weekly government report on initial jobless claims.