BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The European markets remained trapped in a sideways trend throughout Monday's session, fluctuating between small gains and losses. The markets ended the day with mixed results, but remained little changed overall.
Investors struggled with uncertainty at the start of the new trading week, after Catalonia's President Carles Puigdemont failed to clarify his position on the region's independence from Spain.
The euro weakened and commodity prices surged after another solid assessment of economic growth in China. The data also provided a boost to shares of mining stocks.
The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index advanced 0.01 percent. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks increased 0.05 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, added 0.19 percent.
The DAX of Germany climbed 0.09 percent and the CAC 40 of France rose 0.21 percent. The FTSE 100 of the U.K. declined 0.11 percent and the SMI of Switzerland finished lower by 0.40 percent.
In Frankfurt, Daimler rose 0.63 percent after announcing a new structure for its Mercedes-Benz car division and its truck and bus businesses.
In Paris, retailer Carrefour Group rallied 0.84 percent after appointing Matthieu Malige as its new CFO.
Airbus declined 0.17 percent. Chief executive officer Tom Enders told Handelsblatt that he would be prepared to step down if he was 'no longer part of the solution', as the aircraft maker deals with ongoing corruption probes.
In London, ConvaTec plunged 27.68 percent after the medical technology company lowered its full-year organic revenue growth target, citing supply issues in the third quarter.
Mining stocks turned in a strong performance thanks to some positive Chinese economic data. Rio Tinto increased 0.80 percent and Glencore added 2.13 percent. Anglo American advanced 0.51 percent and Antofagasta rose 2.27 percent.
Husqvarna AB shares sank 4.87 percent in Stockholm. The manufacturer of products for construction and stone industries warned on sales in its consumer brands division as it scaled back business with a large U.S. retail customer.
The euro area trade surplus increased in August on exports, data from Eurostat showed Monday. The trade surplus rose to a seasonally adjusted EUR 21.6 billion in August from EUR 17.9 billion in July.
Germany's wholesale price inflation rose to a five-month high in September, data from Destatis revealed Monday. Wholesale prices advanced 3.4 percent year-on-year in September, following a 3.2 percent rise in August. This was the fastest increase since April, when prices climbed 4.7 percent.
The average asking price for a house in the United Kingdom was up 1.1 percent on month in October, property tracking website Rightmove said on Monday. That follows the 1.2 percent monthly decline in September.
China's consumer price inflation slowed in September on falling food prices, while producer prices climbed at the fastest pace in six months, data published by the National Bureau of Statistics showed Monday.
Consumer price inflation eased to 1.6 percent in September from 1.8 percent in August. The rate came in line with expectations.
In a separate communiqué, the NBS said producer price inflation accelerated to 6.9 percent from 6.3 percent in the previous month.
This was the fastest growth since March, when prices increased 7.6 percent. Economists had forecast inflation to rise marginally to 6.4 percent.
A report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Monday said manufacturing firms in New York reported that business activity continued to expand strongly in the month of October. The New York Fed said its general business conditions index climbed to 30.2 in October from 24.4 in September, with a positive reading indicating growth in regional manufacturing activity.
The increase came as a surprise to economists, who had expected the New York manufacturing index to drop to 20.7.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX