Summary US stocks traded mostly lower Thursday eyeing tensions over the latest Greek debt proposal.
LONDON (AFP) - Europe s main markets mainly rose Thursday with Frankfurt hitting a new record close over hopes of a resolution to the Greek debt row, while London s exchange was dragged down by concerns over falling oil prices.
Frankfurt s benchmark DAX 30 index of leading companies rose 0.37 percent to close at a high of 11,001.94 for the first time, while the CAC 40 index in Paris finished up 0.71 percent at 4,833.28 points, its highest level since June 2008.
"The markets are convinced that there is going to be an agreement on Greece, despite the different comments from politicians," said Renaud Murail, manager at Barclays Bourse.
"The market cannot imagine triggering a new crisis of confidence in the eurozone at a time when the economy is showing some positive signs," he said.
On the downside, London s FTSE 100 index fell 0.13 percent to end the day at 6,888.90 points on profit-taking and the drop in oil prices, having soared the previous day to a record high.
US stocks traded mostly lower Thursday eyeing tensions over the latest Greek debt proposal, plunging oil prices and Wal-Mart s cut in its earning forecast.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.18 percent to 17,998.21 points in mid-day trading, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index was up 0.35 percent to 4,923.55 points.
The broad-based S&P 500 was flat at 2,099.66 points.
Like its New York cousin, the London market also fretted about the drop in oil prices, as well as poor earnings news from loss-making domestic energy supplier Centrica.
"The FTSE is lagging a bit behind their European peers because oil is down today," said analyst Markus Huber at brokerage Peregrine & Black.
Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem confirmed that the Greek government had sent a request for a six-month extension to their EU loan programme, which will be discussed Friday at a meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Brussels.
And a spokesman for European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said it was "a positive sign which could pave the way for a reasonable compromise in the interest of financial stability in the euro area as a whole."
But Germany s sceptical Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble slammed the Greek request as "not a substantial proposal for a solution".
Energy stocks plunge
In foreign exchange activity on Thursday, the euro eased to $1.1373, from $1.1398 late in New York.
Back in London, Britain s biggest domestic energy provider Centrica topped the fallers board after revealing that it slumped into a net loss last year.
Centrica shares tanked 8.54 percent to close at 257.10 pence after the company revealed it faced a net loss of �1.01 billion ($156 billion, 1.37 billion euros) in 2014, partly due to collapsing gas and oil prices.
"2014 was a very difficult year for Centrica and the recent fall in oil and gas prices creates further challenge," said new chief executive Iain Conn.
"We are cutting investment and costs in response," he added.
BP shares also closed down 1.24 percent to 445.70 pence in London, while French oil and gas major Total saw its share price slide 2.72 percent to 45.980 euros.
Crude oil prices sank Thursday ahead of the release of a closely-watched report that is widely expected to show a surge in US stockpiles to a 33-year high, adding to a global supply glut.
