European shares were flat in early trade on Wednesday with gains in mining stocks underpinning the market, while British builder Bovis Homes slumped after a profit warning.
The STOXX Europe 600 was flat by 0808 GMT, while Britain’s FTSE, which reopened on Wednesday after a Christmas break, was up 0.1 percent.
Bovis fell 5 percent after saying it would not deliver the number of houses it originally expected in 2016, resulting in a likely miss against market profit forecasts.
The Basic Resources STOXX index rose more than 2 per cent, making it the biggest sectoral gainer, tracking higher metal prices. Miners BHP Billiton, Anglo American and Fresnillo were the biggest gainers, up between 2.8 and 3.9 per cent.
Other sectors were trading between a rise of 0.5 per cent and a fall of 0.4 per cent.