Investing.com - European stocks were higher on Monday, despite ongoing concerns over a potential Greek default, as markets eyed upcoming data on German consumer prices and euro zone manufacturing activity.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 climbed 0.59%, France’s CAC 40 gained 0.67%, while Germany’s DAX 30 rose 0.35%.
Concerns over a possible default have mounted since Athens warned last month that it will be unable to make the repayment if a cash-for-reforms deal with its international lenders was not reached by then.
Greece is due to make a €305 million payment to the International Monetary Fund on June 5.
Financial stocks were broadly higher, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PARIS:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PARIS:SOGN) rose 0.31% and 0.36%, while Germany's Commerzbank (XETRA:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (XETRA:DBKGn) edged up 0.16% and 0.20%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo (MILAN:ISP) and Unicredit (MILAN:CRDI) gained 0.67% and 0.91% respectively, while Spanish banks BBVA (MADRID:BBVA) and Banco Santander (MADRID:SAN) advanced 0.69% and 0.79%.
Elsewhere, Deutsche Annington Immobilien SE (XETRA:ANNGn) surged 2.93$ after the Germany real estate company raised its 2015 profit forecast.
In London, FTSE 100 rose 0.38%, boosted by Astrazeneca (LONDON:AZN), whose shares climbed 2.45% after posting a positive update on one of its anti-cancer drugs.
Financial stocks were also broadly higher, as HSBC Holdings (LONDON:HSBA) edged up 0.19% and Barclays (LONDON:BARC) gained 0.40%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland (LONDON:RBS) and Lloyds Banking (LONDON:LLOY) advanced 0.81% and 0.95% respectively.
Meanwhile, mining stocks were broadly lower on the commodity-heavy index. Shares in Anglo American (LONDON:AAL) slid 0.61% and Glencore Xstrata (LONDON:GLEN) dropped 0.96%, while Fresnillo (LONDON:FRES) tumbled 1.25%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.39% increase, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.32% rise, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.38% gain.
Later in the day, the Institute of Supply Management was to release data on manufacturing activity.