European stocks mixed to lower amid U.S. worries; Dax down 0.21%

Investing.com – European stocks were mixed to lower on Monday, as investors remained cautious amid concerns over the strength of the U.S. job market’s recovery and upcoming U.S. debt ceiling negotiations.

During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 inched up 0.08%, France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.14%, while Germany’s DAX 30 fell 0.21%.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Labor said the economy added 155,000 jobs in December, slightly higher than forecasts for an increase of 150,000, but easing from an upwardly revised increase of 161,000 in November, suggesting that the recovery in the labor market may be slowing.

Investors also remained cautious over the longer term outlook in the U.S., with negotiations on raising the debt ceiling still to come in February.

Financial stocks were broadly higher, after regulators eased global bank liquidity rules in order to enable lenders to issue more credit to help struggling economies grow.

Shares in French lenders BNP Paribas and Societe Generale surged 3.40% and 3.44%, while Germany’s Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank rallied 4.08% and 3.23% respectively.

Peripheral lenders also posted sharp gains, as Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo and Unicredit soared 4.20% and 4.37%, while Spanish banks BBVA and Banco Santander advanced 0.96% and 0.95%.

Elsewhere, Daimler jumped 1.70% following a report China Investment Corp. may buy a stake in the company.

In London, FTSE 100 fell 0.23%, despite strong gains in financial stocks and data showing that house prices in the U.K. roe far more-than-expected in December.

U.K. lenders tracked their European counterparts higher, as shares in HSBC Holdings climbed 0.70% and the Royal Bank of Scotland advanced 1.75%, while Lloyds Banking and Barclays rallied 1.95% and 3.82% respectively.

Mining stocks trended lower on the other hand, as Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton declined 0.60% and 0.49%, while copper producer Xstrata tumbled 1.05%.

Oil and gas giant Anglo American added to losses, dropping 0.42%, while rival BP plummeted 0.95%.

In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a steady open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.04% dip, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.05% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.03% gain.

Later in the day, the euro zone was to produce official data on producer price inflation, as well as a report on investor confidence.

European stocks mixed to lower amid U.S. worries; Dax down 0.21%