Investing.com - European stocks remained higher on Thursday, following a successful Spanish bond auction, while investors eyed an upcoming press conference by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi after the bank left interest rates unchanged close to zero.
During European afternoon trade, the EURO STOXX 50 climbed 0.92%, France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.71%, while Germany’s DAX 30 rose 0.48%.
Markets were jittery amid speculation that Thursday’s successful Spanish bond auction would ease pressure on Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to request a bailout before the end of this year.
Spain sold EUR4.76 billion of three-year, five-year and 20-year bonds, which will allow the country to meet its financing requirements for 2012.
Concerns over Greece remained after the country’s parliament narrowly approved fresh austerity measures needed to secure the next installment of bailout funds late Wednesday, as the measures were likely to exacerbate the country’s recession.
Financial stocks remained broadly higher, as French lenders BNP Paribas and Societe Generale saw shares surge 2.28% and 1.14%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank climbed 0.44%.
Peripheral lenders added to gains, with Italian banks Unicredit and Intesa Sanpaolo advancing 0.41% and 0.66%, while Spain's BBVA and Banco Santander jumped 1.25% and 1.27%.
Among earnings, Repsol said quarterly profit jumped because of increased production, sending shares up 2.40%.
Meanwhile, Swiss Re rallied 1.60% after saying smaller losses from natural disasters helped net income surge in the third quarter.
In London, FTSE 100 rose 0.32%, supported by gains in financial stocks.
The Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays were among the session's top gainers, with shares rallying 1.30% and 1.20% respectively. Lloyds Banking and HSBC Holdings underperformed on the other hand, falling 0.52% and 0.05%.
Meanwhile, mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton remained on the upside, with shares rising adding 0.26% and 1.02%, while copper producer Xstrata advanced 0.43%.
Elsewhere, consumer goods group Tesco gained 1.03% after announcing earlier a GBP25 million annual investment in British agriculture.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.37% increase, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.32% rise, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.31% gain.
Later Thursday, the eurogroup of finance ministers were to hold talks in Brussels to discuss financial issues in the bloc.
The U.S. was to publish official data on the trade balance as well as the weekly government report on initial jobless claims.
During European afternoon trade, the EURO STOXX 50 climbed 0.92%, France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.71%, while Germany’s DAX 30 rose 0.48%.
Markets were jittery amid speculation that Thursday’s successful Spanish bond auction would ease pressure on Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to request a bailout before the end of this year.
Spain sold EUR4.76 billion of three-year, five-year and 20-year bonds, which will allow the country to meet its financing requirements for 2012.
Concerns over Greece remained after the country’s parliament narrowly approved fresh austerity measures needed to secure the next installment of bailout funds late Wednesday, as the measures were likely to exacerbate the country’s recession.
Financial stocks remained broadly higher, as French lenders BNP Paribas and Societe Generale saw shares surge 2.28% and 1.14%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank climbed 0.44%.
Peripheral lenders added to gains, with Italian banks Unicredit and Intesa Sanpaolo advancing 0.41% and 0.66%, while Spain's BBVA and Banco Santander jumped 1.25% and 1.27%.
Among earnings, Repsol said quarterly profit jumped because of increased production, sending shares up 2.40%.
Meanwhile, Swiss Re rallied 1.60% after saying smaller losses from natural disasters helped net income surge in the third quarter.
In London, FTSE 100 rose 0.32%, supported by gains in financial stocks.
The Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays were among the session's top gainers, with shares rallying 1.30% and 1.20% respectively. Lloyds Banking and HSBC Holdings underperformed on the other hand, falling 0.52% and 0.05%.
Meanwhile, mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton remained on the upside, with shares rising adding 0.26% and 1.02%, while copper producer Xstrata advanced 0.43%.
Elsewhere, consumer goods group Tesco gained 1.03% after announcing earlier a GBP25 million annual investment in British agriculture.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.37% increase, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.32% rise, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.31% gain.
Later Thursday, the eurogroup of finance ministers were to hold talks in Brussels to discuss financial issues in the bloc.
The U.S. was to publish official data on the trade balance as well as the weekly government report on initial jobless claims.