European Stocks Little Changed Before U.K. Output Report

European stocks were little changed, after yesterday rising to their highest level in more than six years, as investors awaited a report on U.K. industrial production. U.S. index futures slipped, while Asian shares rose.

Bank of Ireland Plc dropped 4.9 percent after U.S. billionaire Wilbur Ross put on sale his remaining shares in the country’s largest lender by assets.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index declined less than 0.1 percent to 348.49 at 8:07 a.m. in London. The benchmark rose to its highest level since January 2008 yesterday as stronger-than-estimated economic growth in Japan encouraged optimism that the global recovery remains on track. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures dropped 0.2 percent to 1,946.7 today, while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 0.3 percent.

An Office for National Statistics report at 9:30 a.m. in London today will show that industrial output in Europe’s third-largest economy climbed 0.4 percent in April, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The measure of production fell 0.1 percent in March.

Source : bloomberg