European stock markets edged higher cautiously on Thursday, as investors continued to monitor developments around the Covid virus and ahead of key US jobs data.
At 3:35 a.m. ET (0835 GMT), the DAX in Germany was trading 0.1% higher, the CAC 40 in France was up 0.3% and the UK's FTSE 100 was up 0.2%.
Global stock markets have been buoyed this week by signs that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus may produce a milder response in patients, even if it is more transmissible, along with studies from drug manufacturers that current vaccines can deal with virus mutations.
That said, many countries in Europe are still fighting to contain a fourth wave of the pandemic by imposing tougher Covid-19 restrictions, including Britain recommending people work in homes and Denmark closed restaurants, bars and schools.
In company news, Lagardere (PA:LAGA) stock rose 4.3% after French entertainment company Vivendi (OTC: VIVHY) announced it would buy a stake in activist fund Amber Capital just under 18% of the group. media in the coming days and then submit a full takeover offer.
Shares of Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) fell 1.5% after the Wall Street Journal reported that the German lender may have breached a criminal agreement with the US Department of Justice following a move to remain silent. silence an internal complaint.
Rolls-Royce (OTC: RYCEY) shares fell 2.9% despite the UK engineering firm reporting improved trading performance, leading to positive free cash flow again in the third quarter. The company has been hit hard by the pandemic due to its exposure to the airline industry. The improved cash flow in the current year is partly due to the fact that £300 million in liabilities has been deferred to financial year 2022.
German trade data offered some positive news on Thursday, as exports rose at their strongest pace in more than a year in October, rising 4.1 percent after falling in August and September. Imports also had an unexpected jump, up 5% after a slight upward revision of 0.4% in the previous month.
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