AFP/London

European stock markets closed mixed yesterday while the euro trod water against the dollar as traders reacted to a batch of eurozone economic data and changes to country credit ratings.
London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index dipped 0.06% to 6,650.57 points, while the CAC 40 in Paris ended the day down 0.17% at 4,295.21 points.
But Frankfurt’s DAX 30 rose 0.19% to 9,405.30 points to yet another record close yesterday.
Madrid’s Ibex 35 slid 0.23% to 9,837.6 points despite global rating agency Standard & Poor’s upgrading its outlook for Spain’s debt yesterday, highlighting the prospects for export-led growth in the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy.
Eurozone unemployment eased off record highs in October, official data showed yesterday — a modest improvement in line with other recent data, but youth jobless numbers edged up.
Unemployment in the 17-nation single currency bloc fell to 12.1% in October from 12.2% in September, the Eurostat statistics agency said.
Total people out of work dropped by 61,000 to 19.3mn.
The data, published alongside improving eurozone inflation figures, offered only modest respite as the bloc struggles to get back on track after a record recession, analysts said.
“The uptick in inflation will ease concerns about deflationary risks,” said Martin van Vliet of Global Economics ING.
“But with high unemployment keeping wage growth down, disinflationary pressures... remain firmly in place.”
Inflation rose to 0.9% in November from a four-year low of 0.7% in October, which had stoked concerns the bloc risked a damaging cycle of falling prices.
“The best performing sector today has been financials after the Bank of England eased back slightly on banks equity capital requirements for next year, with Barclays leading the move higher followed by Lloyds and Standard Chartered,” said analyst Michael Hewson at CMC Markets UK.
Barclay’s rose 2.3% to 271.7 pence, while Lloyd’s added 0.69% to 77.4%.
In foreign exchange, the euro was stable at $1.3606.
The European single currency edged up to ¥139.36 from ¥139.23 on Thursday, when it also hit a five-year high of ¥139.71.
The British pound rose to €1.2037 and $1.6377
On the London Bullion Market, the price of gold edged up to $1,253 an ounce from $1,245.50 on Thursday.
US stocks yesterday pushed higher in a holiday-shortened session following positive early assessments of “Black Friday” shopping traffic by some leading retailers.
In midday trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.30% to 16,145.30 points.
The broad-based S&P 500 tacked on 0.27% to 1,812.08, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.60% to 4,068.96.
Dow member Walmart said total sales on Thanksgiving Day exceeded last year’s total of 22mn customers served.