European markets on a subdued note

The European markets opened at a lower level during the morning hours on Thursday as investors monitored new corporate earnings and studied the geopolitical tensions between the US and North Korea.
 
The FTSE 100 index was trading at 7,449 levels, lower by 48.25 points; CAC 40 index was at the 5,143 levels, down by 2.89 points; while the German DAX was at 12,140 levels, down by 13.67 points. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down by 0.02%.
   
The rising tension between North Korea and the US has been the biggest worry after North Korea dismissed comments from President Donald Trump as a “load of nonsense” and said it was outlining plans for a missile strike near Guam, where the US has a military base, in mid-August.
 
The flight-to-safety from global investors eased overnight, but is likely to continue to curb sentiments during the European trading hours. In the business world, KBC Group, Thyssenkrupp, Glencore, and Prudential are likely to present their latest figures.
 
According to a leading international news agency, Italian lender Intesa Sanpaolo is likely to buy the Swiss private bank Banque Morval for an amount between Euros 150-200 million (USD 176-235 million). Also, the world’s biggest miner, BHP, is also likely to invest significantly in its nickel business as the demand for electric vehicles picks up.