European stocks rise awaiting packed week
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index edged up 0.07 percent to stand at 6,620.38 points.
LONDON (AFP) - Europe s main stock markets mostly fell on Monday awaiting monetary policy decisions from the European Central Bank and US jobs data towards the end of the week.
On Monday, official data showed eurozone inflation fell to 0.5 percent in March, the lowest rate since October 2009 at the height of the financial crisis, and amid concerns about the dangers of deflation, or falling prices.
London s benchmark FTSE 100 index edged up 0.07 percent to stand at 6,620.38 points around midday in the British capital.
But in Paris, the CAC 40 fell 0.22 percent to 4,401.62 points, as official figures showed French public deficit and debt in 2013 were higher than previous government estimates -- dealing a fresh blow to President Francois Hollande a day after disastrous local polls.
The DAX 30 in Frankfurt slipped 0.11 percent to stand at 9,576.48 points compared with Friday s closing level and as investors reacted to news that German retail sales, a closely watched measure of household confidence, increased in February.
In London, "the FTSE has started a week crammed full of economic data on a positive note ... adding to last week s gains", said Toby Morris, a trader at CMC Markets.
"Ukraine will continue to make ... headlines for as long it takes for some kind of diplomatic agreement, but for now the news of a general decrease in tension between Russia and the US seems to be enough for the markets to eat back some of the ground lost."
Ukraine s defence ministry said on Monday it had noticed a gradual withdrawal of Russian troops from its border that may be linked to Washington s latest push for a diplomatic solution to the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War.
In foreign exchange trading, the euro climbed to $1.3771 from $1.3752 late on Friday in New York.
The European single currency gained to 82.77 British pence from 82.66 pence, while the pound firmed to $1.6638 from $1.6637.
On the London Bullion Market, the price of gold dipped to $1,294.50 an ounce from $1,294.75 on Friday.
The dollar rose to 103.21 yen from 102.80 yen on Friday.
In Japan on Monday, official data showed industrial output in February dropped 2.3 percent month-on-month -- the first fall in three months.
Traders are awaiting the release on Tuesday of the Bank of Japan s Tankan survey of Japanese business sentiment, while the US Labor Department will on Friday unveil closely watched non-farm payrolls data for March.
Asian stock markets mostly rose Monday following Friday s rally on Wall Street.
