European markets display optimism

The European stock markets opened higher during the early hours of trade on Thursday as investors look forward to upcoming data and news related to the political sphere. The FTSE 100 index was trading at 7,382, up by 16.74 points; CAC 40 index was trading at 5,071, higher by 15.32 points; and the German DAX was at 12,049, up by 46.95 points. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was higher by 0.44%.
 
Thursday will mark as the final day of the third round of of Article 50 negotiations between the UK and the European Union (EU). Investors are keeping a close watch on the event as statements about the current progress of the exit talks have added pressure on the groups to come up with a strong and strategic relationship.
 
In the US, the hurricane Harvey continues to add uncertainty to market sentiments as investors question what the impact of the natural disaster will be on various sectors, including insurance and oil. On Thursday, oil fluctuated around the flatline as prices recovered from the previous day’s turbulence and investors remained cautious, awaiting more news out of the US concerning the natural disaster.
 
On the data front, inflation figures are due out for Italy, France and the euro zone, along with unemployment data for Germany, Italy and the euro zone.