Europe open: Stocks edge higher, policy speeches in focus
Stocks on the Continent are trading higher, with sentiment boosted by record closes on Wall Street overnight, as traders keep an eye out for any market moving remarks from top economic officials attending a joint IMF and Deutsche Bundesbank conference.
As of 0945 GMT, the benchmark Stoxx 600 was trading 0.14% or 0.57 points higher to 398.54, alongside a 0.42% or 54.83 point gain for the Dax to 13,244.97 and an advance of 0.21% in the Cac-40 to 5,504.74.
In parallel, euro/dollar was essentially flat, adding 0.01% to 1.2213, but the yield on the benchmark 10-year bund was again on the move, rising by three basis points to 0.59%.
On Wednesday evening, the Dow Jones Industrials managed to establish a foothold above the 26,000 point mark for the first time, alongside a move past 2,800 points on the S&P 500.
However, given the recent sharp updraft in the euro, market participants were wary of any remarks from policymakers that might stoke renewed buying in the single currency.
Against that backdrop, investors were waiting on speeches by German central bank chief Jens Weidmann, ECB governing council member Benoit Coeure (1430 GMT) and Banque de France governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau (1730 GMT).
No major economic data releases were slated for release on Thursday.
For later in the day, investors were waiting on US housing starts data and the Philly Fed's regional manufacturing gauge, both of which were scheduled to be published at 1330 GMT.
There was also keen interest in whether an expected US House of Representatives vote, possibly as soon as on Thursday, to extend the federal government'd debt ceiling would pass.
In the corporate space, Airbus got a lift from an Emirates Airline order for 36 Airbus A380s valued at $16bn, including an option for 16 more jets of the same model.
Carrefour on the other hand lowered its guidance for profits in 2017 for the second time in just six months.