Investing.com - European markets opened mixed on Thursday, as investors remained cautious ahead of fresh earnings reports and the Bank of England's monthly policy decision due later in the day.
The EURO STOXX 50 dipped 0.07%, France’s CAC 40 added 0.12%, while Germany’s DAX 30 was down 0.08% by 04:30 a.m. ET (08:30 GMT).
Later Thursday, the BoE was widely expected to raise interest rates for the first time in almost a decade.
At the conclusion of its policy meeting on Wednesday, the Fed left interest rates unchanged, as expected, but further added to expectations for a December rate hike by highlighting "solid" economic growth and a strengthening labor market.
Financial stocks were mixed, as Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) gained 0.48% and BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) dipped 0.08% in France, while Germany's Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) added 0.13% and 0.30%.
Among peripheral lenders, Unicredit (MI:CRDI) rallied 1.03% and Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) fell 0.15% in Italy, while Banco Santander (MC:SAN) inched 0.05% higher and BBVA (MC:BBVA) slid 0.33% in Spain.
Elsewhere, Vinci SA (PA:SGEF) shares rallied 0.99% following news the energy group acquired Infratek and Horlemann, two major European companies specialised in electrical grids.
In earnings news, Sanofi (PA:SASY) plummeted 2.04% after the French drugmaker posted third quarter results slightly below expectations. The company also confirmed its full-year outlook despite cutting sales guidance for its diabetes franchise.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 dipped 0.04%, weighed by sharp losses in the mining sector.
Shares in Glencore (LON:GLEN) dropped 0.64% and Fresnillo (LON:FRES) lost 1.81%, while rival company Randgold Resources (LON:RRS) dove 5.96%.
RSA Insurance Group PLC (LON:RSA) added to losses, as shares tumbled 1.90% after the group said it had set aside £50 million against U.S. and Caribbean cat events in the third quarter and warned this number could increase.
Financial stocks were also mostly lower, as Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) dipped 0.06% and HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) edged down 0.08%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) declined 0.39%. Barclays (LON:BARC) overperformed, with shares up 0.08%.
Meanwhile, BT Group (LON:BT) gained 0.61% even after the telecoms giant reported a 4% drop in third-quarter earnings, weighed by heavy investment in sports rights and ongoing woes in its troubled global services arm.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.08% fall, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.12% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.14% decline.