Investing.com - European stocks were steady to lower on Friday, after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi signaled that additional easing measures could be implemented if necessary, while growing expectations for a U.S. rate hike next month weighed on global equities.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 slid 0.33%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.35%, while Germany’s DAX 30 dipped 0.02%.
Earlier Friday, ECB President Draghi said the central bank will continue to act as warranted using all instruments available.
Speaking at the 26th European Banking Congress, in Frankfurt, Draghi added that the euro zone’s economic recovery still relies to a considerable degree on accommodative monetary policy.
Meanwhile, investors remained cautious after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said on Thursday that an increase in interest rates could be "appropriate relatively soon".
Financial stocks were mostly lower, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) slid 0.26% and 0.45%, while Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) inched up 0.05% and Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) dipped 0.03% in Germany.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) and Unicredit (MI:CRDI) tumbled 1.84% and 1.74% respectively, while Spanish banks Banco Santander (MC:SAN) and BBVA (MC:BBVA) lost 1.04% and 1.26% .
LafargeHolcim Ltd (SIX:LHN) added to losses, with shares down 3.19% after the world's biggest cement maker announced a 1 billion Swiss franc share buyback plan and lowered its mid-term earnings target.
On the upside, Airbus Group (PA:AIR) jumped 1.55% after it announced that Japan’s Peach Aviation had ordered 10 of its A320neo jets worth $1.1 billion.
Volkswagen (DE:VOWG_p) climbed 0.66% after the German carmaker said it planned to cut 30,000 jobs by 2021 to help boost profitability and focus on new areas such as electric and driverless cars.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 dropped 0.57%, weighed by sharp losses in the mining sector.
Shares in Glencore (LON:GLEN) tumbled 2.88% and Antofagasta (LON:ANTO) lost 3.56%, while rivals Fresnillo (LON:FRES) and Randgold Resources (LON:RRS) dove 5.35% and 6.74% respectively.
Financial stocks were also on the downside, as HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) slipped 0.28% and Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) declined 1.25%, while Barclays (LON:BARC) lost 1.37% and the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) plummeted 2.57%.
WPP (LON:WPP) was one of the best performers on the index, with shares up 1.52% after announcing on Wednesday with Spotify a global partnership for collaboration in areas including data, insights, creative, technology, innovation, programmatic solutions and new growth markets.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.15% fall, S&P 500 futures showed a 0.25% slip, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.12% loss.