European markets were mixed at the open on Thursday, as investors awaited monetary policy announcements from the Bank of England, the Swiss National Bank and Sweden's Riksbank.
The regional Stoxx 600 was near the flatline in early trade. The index has closed higher for the past four sessions, recovering from a 1.22% loss last week.
Germany's DAX gave up gains on Wednesday as investors appeared to "buy the rumor, sell the fact" after lawmakers voted to allow exemptions to its debt rules, unlocking hundreds of billions in defense, infrastructure and climate spending. The potential reforms have so far driven strong gains in German industrial, manufacturing and defense names this month.
Thursday's flurry of European activity came after the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept its key interest rate unchanged, while signaling the possibility of a two percentage point cut this quarter despite uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies.
Trump's erratic tariff announcements and threats will also be weighed by global central banks for their potential impact on global growth, inflation and currency markets. The Bank of England is widely expected to keep interest rates on hold at its March meeting despite weak economic growth, while market prices point to a cut in Switzerland — after its annual inflation rate fell to just 0.3% in February. The Riksbank is widely expected to keep rates steady. (Newsmaker23)
Source: CNBC