European markets advanced modestly on Thursday morning, as investors digest a fresh round of corporate earnings and inflation figures from several major economies.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 added 0.4% in early trade, with basic resources climbing 1% to lead gains, while banks and insurance stocks bucked the trend to slide 0.4%.
Stocks in Europe received a mixed handover from Asia-Pacific, where Chinese markets declined on Thursday while those in Australia, Japan, and South Korea eked out cautious gains.
Futures contracts tied to the major U.S. stock indexes inched higher in premarket trade, after the S&P 500 pulled back from its record highs during Wednesday’s regular session, with pressure on the tech sector offsetting upward momentum after several major banks reported strong earnings.
More high-profile first-quarter results are due Thursday, with Bank of America, Citi and PepsiCo all reporting.
The benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yield was hovering at around 1.6183% Thursday morning, retreating slightly ahead of the release of closely-watched weekly jobless claims figures and March retail sales data stateside, which are expected to offer further clues on the trajectory of the country’s economic recovery.
