Financial spreadbetters expected Britain's FTSE 100 to open 9 to 12 points lower or down as much as 0.19 per cent, Germany's DAX to fall 5 to 9 points or as much as 0.08 per cent, and France's CAC 40 to drop around 3 points or 0.06 per cent, on Thursday.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index ended 0.7 per cent higher in the previous session.