Europe: Stock markets climb at open

[LONDON] European stock markets climbed at the open on Thursday (Mar 24) after a mixed showing in Asia and as oil prices steadied.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX index won 0.3 per cent to 14,319.16 points and the Paris CAC 40 climbed 0.3 per cent to 6,598.62.

Britain's FTSE 100 and midcap indexes were muted on Thursday as concerns about the economic fallout from the Ukraine crisis and downbeat earnings forecast from clothing retailer Next weighed on sentiment.

The blue-chip index ticked up 0.1 per cent, while the domestically focussed midcap index slipped 0.1 per cent.

The FTSE 100 index snapped a 5-day run of gains on Wednesday after hot inflation data, while measures unveiled by Finance Minister Rishi Sunak to ease the worst cost-of-living squeeze in decades did little to ease the worries. AFP, REUTERS