DOW JONES (London)--Stocks in Europe were struggling to push higher Thursday, as gains for automakers including Volkswagen were contrasted with losses for banks and utilities.
The pan-European Dow Jones Stoxx 600 index fell 0.1% to 178.58, while the French CAC 40 slipped 0.1% to 2,892.06 and the German DAX 30 rose 0.4% to 4,240.66.
The U.K. FTSE 100 fell 0.1% to 3,897.30.
A late surge for U.S. stocks on Wednesday helped limit losses in Europe.
Stocks dipped into negative territory mid-session after weak demand for a U.S. Treasury auction, but closed higher in a late surge for financial stocks such as J.P. Morgan Chase and home builders such as Toll Brothers amid more signs of stabilization in the housing market.
U.S. stock futures also were stronger Thursday morning.
But in Europe, utilities fell, with E.On slipping 1.1%, and banks also dropped, with Societe Generale falling 1.2%.
Market heavyweight Volkswagen (VLKAY) jumped 13%, following on from gains seen in the prior session after Porsche Automobil Holdings SE inked a deal on a credit line of 10 billion euros, which it's expected to use to increase its stake in VW.
Shares of Porsche were up over 3%.
Shares of Italian automaker Fiat SpA rose 5.2%.
Mining stocks also rose. Mineral extractor Kazakhmys rose 2.4%, while Rio Tinto (RTP), which got the sell nod from Royal Bank of Scotland on Wednesday, was up nearly 3%.
Among Europe's financials, U.K. hedge fund manager Man Group soared 11%. The group said it expects to report a 43% fall in profit before tax and one-off items for the year ended March 31, and also announced plans to launch a new investment management business to help meet investor demands for increased transparency and governance.
Retailers were also in the spotlight. Shares of Sweden's Hennes & Mauritz (HNNMY) fell 4.7% after it reported a weaker-than-expected 12% fall in net income in the first quarter. H&M said sales were affected by a "continued restrained consumption due to the current recession."
In the U.K., retailer Next said net profit for the year ended Jan. 31, fell 15%, while comparable sales in its retail business were down 6.5% and it expects comparable sales to fall between 6% and 9% in the first half of the current fiscal year.
Shares slid nearly 3% in London.
Shares of U.K. food producer Northern Foods popped 8% higher as the group said fourth-quarter underlying sales rose 8.8%, helping its annual pretax profit be in line with market expectations.
The pan-European Dow Jones Stoxx 600 index fell 0.1% to 178.58, while the French CAC 40 slipped 0.1% to 2,892.06 and the German DAX 30 rose 0.4% to 4,240.66.
The U.K. FTSE 100 fell 0.1% to 3,897.30.
A late surge for U.S. stocks on Wednesday helped limit losses in Europe.
Stocks dipped into negative territory mid-session after weak demand for a U.S. Treasury auction, but closed higher in a late surge for financial stocks such as J.P. Morgan Chase and home builders such as Toll Brothers amid more signs of stabilization in the housing market.
U.S. stock futures also were stronger Thursday morning.
But in Europe, utilities fell, with E.On slipping 1.1%, and banks also dropped, with Societe Generale falling 1.2%.
Market heavyweight Volkswagen (VLKAY) jumped 13%, following on from gains seen in the prior session after Porsche Automobil Holdings SE inked a deal on a credit line of 10 billion euros, which it's expected to use to increase its stake in VW.
Shares of Porsche were up over 3%.
Shares of Italian automaker Fiat SpA rose 5.2%.
Mining stocks also rose. Mineral extractor Kazakhmys rose 2.4%, while Rio Tinto (RTP), which got the sell nod from Royal Bank of Scotland on Wednesday, was up nearly 3%.
Among Europe's financials, U.K. hedge fund manager Man Group soared 11%. The group said it expects to report a 43% fall in profit before tax and one-off items for the year ended March 31, and also announced plans to launch a new investment management business to help meet investor demands for increased transparency and governance.
Retailers were also in the spotlight. Shares of Sweden's Hennes & Mauritz (HNNMY) fell 4.7% after it reported a weaker-than-expected 12% fall in net income in the first quarter. H&M said sales were affected by a "continued restrained consumption due to the current recession."
In the U.K., retailer Next said net profit for the year ended Jan. 31, fell 15%, while comparable sales in its retail business were down 6.5% and it expects comparable sales to fall between 6% and 9% in the first half of the current fiscal year.
Shares slid nearly 3% in London.
Shares of U.K. food producer Northern Foods popped 8% higher as the group said fourth-quarter underlying sales rose 8.8%, helping its annual pretax profit be in line with market expectations.
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