European stock markets were expected to be steady at the open on Wednesday in a shortened trading session, with many of the region’s markets either closed or having only a half-day.
France’s CAC futures were up by 0.4 per cent, while spreadbetters at Spreadex and CMC Markets saw Britain’s FTSE 100 opening flat to up by 6 points. Germany’s DAX equity index was closed on Wednesday, having ended down 1.2 per cent on Tuesday.
Energy shares could come under pressure again after Brent crude oil prices dropped towards $57 a barrel on Wednesday as weak Chinese manufacturing data and demand concerns outweighed supply disruptions in Libya.