Europe: Stock markets steady at open

[LONDON] Europe's main stock markets steadied at the start of trade on Thursday, as dealers paused for breath after bumper gains so far this week.

In initial deals, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index dipped 0.3 per cent to 6,342.93 points, before an interest rate decision from the Bank of England.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index added almost 0.2 per cent to 10,042.28 points, while the Paris CAC 40 nudged nearly 0.1 per cent lower to 4,487.22 compared with Wednesday's closing levels.

Asian equities rallied for a second straight session Thursday, tracking gains in New York where traders cheered surprisingly upbeat earnings from Wall Street titan JPMorgan Chase.

AFP