Investing.com - European markets opened mixed on Thursday, as investors eyed the minutes of the European Central Bank's latest policy meeting, as well as fresh corporate earnings reports.
The EURO STOXX 50 dipped 0.01%, France’s CAC 40 inched up 0.01%, while Germany’s DAX 30 was down 0.07% by 03:30 a.m. ET (07:30 GMT).
Financial stocks were mixed, as Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) dipped 0.02% and BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) added 0.18% in France, while Germany's Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) declined 0.48% and 0.47%.
Among peripheral lenders, Unicredit (MI:CRDI) slid 0.35% and Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) edged up 0.13% in Italy, while Spanish banks and Banco Santander (MC:SAN) and BBVA (MC:BBVA) fell 0.05% and 0.23% respectively.
Elsewhere, German auto supplier Continental AG (DE:CONG) saw shares advance 0.73% following reports earlier in the week that the group may overhaul its business structure and separately list its divisions.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 added 0.15%, boosted by sharp gains in the mining sector.
Shares in BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) and Glencore (LON:GLEN) jumped 1.15% and 1.21% respectively, while Antofagasta (LON:ANTO) rallied 1.18% and Anglo American (LON:AAL) surged 1.75%.
Financial stocks were also higher, as the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) inched 0.03% higher and Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) eased up 0.07%, while HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) added 0.13%. Barclays (LON:BARC) underperformed, as shares declined 0.73%.
Tesco (LON:TSCO) was one of the worst performers on the index, as shares plummeted 3.10% even after the supermaeket said it "outperformed" the market over Christmas. The group posted 1.9% total like-for-like sales growth.
Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LON:MKS) saw shares lose 3.27% after saying that food and clothing sales fell in the final three months of 2017.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady to higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.09% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.10% rise, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.05% uptick.