Investing.com - European stocks were steady to higher on Thursday, as investors remained cautious ahead of the European Central Bank's monetary policy decision due later in the day.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 rose 0.19%, France’s CAC 40 eased 0.01%, while Germany’s DAX 30 edged up 0.19%.
The ECB was expected to keep its monetary policy unchanged later in the day but it could flag plans to enlarge its stimulus program.
Earlier Thursday, data showed that Spain's unemployment rate ticked down to 21.18% in the third quarter from 22.37% in the three months to June. Analysts had expected the unemployment rate to fall to 22.15% in the last quarter.
Financial stocks were mostly lower, as French lenders Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) and BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) slipped 0.08% and 0.13%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) eased 0.06%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) fell 0.27%, while Spanish banks BBVA (MC:BBVA) and Banco Santander (MC:SAN) lost 0.03% and 0.30% respectively.
Elsewhere, Publicis plunged 9% after lowering its full year sales growth outlook to 1% from 2.5%.
On the upside, Pernod Ricard (PA:PERP) rallied 1.34% after the French spirits maker said overall sales in its fiscal first quarter increased by 3% on a yearly basis, but that sales dropped 9% in China.
Roche added to gains, with shares jumping 1.38% after the Swiss drugmaker said nine-month sales climbed 2% to 35.53 billion Swiss francs, beating analysts' projections.
In London, FTSE 100 dipped 0.01%, weighed by sharp losses in the mining sector.
Shares in Bhp Billiton (L:BLT) dropped 0.55% and Fresnillo (L:FRES) declined 0.76%, while Glencore (L:GLEN) tumbled 1.15% and Anglo American (L:AAL) dove 3.85%.
Anglo American said on Thursday that it lowered its diamond production "to better reflect current trading conditions".
Financial stocks were also broadly lower, as Lloyds Banking (L:LLOY) and Barclays (L:BARC) slid 0.36% and 0.40% respectively, while the Royal Bank of Scotland (L:RBS) lost 0.46% and HSBC Holdings (L:HSBA) tumbled 1.19%.
Travis Perkins (L:TPK) was one of the worst performers on the index, with shares sinking 6.98% after the home improvement retailer reported a 2.6% increase in comparable sales for the third quarter, but warned that earnings before interest will now be at the lower end of market expectations.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.26% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.32% increase, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.34% rise.