BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European markets ended mostly higher on Wednesday, although buying interest was subdued, after the European Central Bank President Mario Draghi confirmed slower growth momentum in the eurozone. A downward revision to global growth outlook by the IMF also continued to weigh on markets.
Investors were also reluctant to go on any significant buying ahead of Brexit summit and key results from big U.S. lenders, and due to lingering concerns about trade ties.
The pan European Stoxx 600 ended up 0.26%. Among the major markets, Germany and France ended on a firm note, with their benchmark indices gaining 0.47% and 0.25%, respectively. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 edged down by 0.05%, while Switzerland's SMI declined 0.27%.
Among other markets in Europe, Austria, Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia and Sweden closed on the positive side.
Spain, Italy, Denmark, Ireland ended flat, while Turkey, Ukraine, Finland and Belgium ended weak.
In the U.K. market, Tesco gained about 3.5% on reporting a notable increase in full-year operating profit. Old Mutual, Severn Trent, Mondi, Land Securities, Royal Mail, Schroders, Antofagasta, EasyJet and Hargreaves Lansdown were the other prominent gainers.
Shares of Indivior plunged about 72% after the U.S. Justice Department accused the company that it illegally boosted prescriptions for the film version of its blockbuster opioid addiction treatment Suboxone.
Reckitt Benckiser declined more than 6%. Whitbread, Standard Life and Provident Financial also ended notably lower.
In Germany, Wirecard, HeidelbergCement, Lufthansa, SAP, Vonovia, Covestro, Henkel, Adidas and RWE closed with solid gains.
Unibail Rodamco, up 3.6%, was the top gainer in the CAC 40 index. Bouygues, Vinci, Michelin, Sodexo and Atos gained 1.2 to 2%.
BNP Paribas, Societe Generale and Carrefour ended lower.
The European Central Bank today held its key interest rates as expected. The bank also held its forward guidance unchanged.
The main refi rate is currently at a record low 0% and the deposit rate at -0.40%. The marginal lending facility rate is at 0.25%.
Eurozone interest rates were raised last in July 2011 by 25 basis points.
The ECB President Mario Draghi said the bank stands ready to deploy more policy tools, if any contingency warranted given the weaker growth outlook, and added that policymakers were studying the impact of the negative deposit rate on bank profitability, which suggest they may announce some relief measures for banks in coming months.
That said, policymakers are waiting for more information that will come between now and June, Draghi added.
On the Brexit front, the U.K. is likely to be offered a 'flexible' delay of up to a year to exit the EU, according to European Council President Donald Tusk.
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