Europe: Stocks mostly up at open

[LONDON] European stock markets were mostly up in opening deals on Thursday (Jan 20) as traders balanced a broadly upbeat Asian session against overnight losses on Wall Street.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index of major blue-chip companies rose 0.3 per cent at 7,614.02 points compared with Wednesday's close.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX gained 0.2 per cent to 15,839.24 points while the Paris CAC 40 was marginally higher at 7,169.22 points.

Asian markets mostly rose on Thursday as investors tentatively returned to buying after recent losses, with Chinese property firms enjoying a much-needed lift on fresh easing measures by the country's central bank.

Wall Street stocks had tumbled again on Wednesday as traders grappled with surging inflation and the prospect of higher interest rates, while oil prices scaled new multi-year highs.

AFP