Major European indices ended a choppy session near the flat line Thursday, as markets consolidated after the previous session's sharp rally.
The UK's FTSE 100 edged up 4.63 points or 0.08% to 5371.04; the French CAC 40 gathered 7.59 points or 0.20% to 3631.43; while the German DAX Index closed down 0.05 points at 6083.85;.
Among the US indices, the Dow is edging up 0.07%, the Nasdaq is gaining 0.65% and the S&P 500 is adding 0.47%.
Crude oil for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange was trading marginally higher above $74 a barrel, and December gold added $4.70 to $1252.80 an ounce.
This morning, the European Central Bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1%.
Meanwhile, the Swedish central bank raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point to 0.75%, citing improving exports and declining unemployment. The bank also revised up its 2010 growth forecast for the nation's economy to 4.1% from 3.8%, but downgraded its growth forecast for the next year.
In other economic news, the eurozone's gross domestic product grew 1% on a sequential basis in the second quarter, according to preliminary estimates released by Eurostat. This follows a 0.3% growth in the first quarter.
The region's producer price index rose 4% on an annual basis in July, higher than a 3% increase in June.
Construction activity in the UK slowed in August. The CIPS construction purchasing managers' index edged down to 52.1 in the month, from 54.1 in July.
The Swiss economy grew 0.9% in the second quarter, slightly ahead of economists' forecast for a 0.8% increase, but lower compared to the 1% growth posted in the first quarter.
In the US, the Labor Department said first-time claims for unemployment benefits edged down to 472,000 in the week ended August 28, from 478,000 in the previous week. Economists had expected initial claims to total about 475,000 in the week.
A report from the National Association of Realtors showed US pending home sales rose unexpectedly in the month of July. The NAR pending home sales index rose 5.2% in July following a revised 2.8% drop in the previous month, while economists had been looking for an unchanged reading.
Financial stocks ended largely on the upside. Insurer Old Mutual gained 1.82%, Aviva moved up 1.77% and Standard Life added 0.99%.
Fund-management firm Man Group rose 5.77%.
Royal Bank of Scotland ended up 0.76%. The state-owned lender revealed plans to slash around 3500 back-office jobs in the UK.
Lloyds Banking Group and Standard Chartered gathered around 0.9% each.
Travel group Carnival rose 3.07% and TUI Travel gained 2.21%.
Aerospace and defense firm BAE Systems added 2.75%.
Restaurant Group advanced 6.50% after reporting a pre-tax profit of GBP 24.8 million for the first half of the year, up from GBP 20.14 million a year earlier.
Xstrata gave in 0.50%. The diversified miner said its subsidiary, Xstrata Zinc, does not intend to proceed with the acquisition of remaining stake in Canada-based open-ended trust Noranda Income Fund.
Antofagasta lost 1.73%, Eurasian Natural Resources trimmed 0.62% and Rio Tinto edged down 0.51%. Meanwhile, Kazakhmys ended up 0.88%.
Precious metals miner Fresnillo dropped 1.96%, Lonmin shed 1.86% and African Barrick Gold eased 0.97%.
Tullow Oil shed 3.97%. The oil and gas producer revealed plans to acquire 50% interest in three exploration blocks in East Africa, from Canadian explorer Africa Oil Corp. for around $10 million.
Cairn Energy surrendered 3.53% and Essar Energy lost 1.19%.
Chipmaker Arm Holdings fell 3.76%, Cable & Wireless Worldwide gave in 2.98% and satellite-telecommunications provider Inmarsat eased 2.35%.
Shares of auto makers advanced in Frankfurt. BMW gathered 2.08%, Daimler added 1.71% and Volkswagen ended up 1.26%.
HeidelbergCement rose 2.38% and ThyssenKrupp gained 1.08%.
Logistics provider Deutsche Post, industrial gas producer Linde and retail chain Metro added over 1% each.
Commerzbank edged up 0.47%, while Deutsche Bank dropped 2.54%. Deutsche Boerse eased 1.04%.
Fresenius Medical Care shed 1.97%. Bayer and Deutsche Telekom trimmed 1% each.
In Paris, lender Credit Agricole gained 1.34%. Societe Generale added 0.75% and BNP Paribas edged up 0.24%.
Car maker Renault gathered 1.18% and peer Peugeot added 0.60%. Aircraft maker EADS rose 2.79%.
Builder Vinci gained 1.32%, steel producer Arcelormittal moved up 1.21% and construction materials supplier Saint-Gobain added 1%.
Among the losers, beverages company Pernod Ricard shed 2.37%.
Schneider Electric, media firm Lagardere and dairy product producer Danone dropped around 1% each.
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