European stock markets steady at open

LONDON: Europe's main stock markets steadied at the start of trade on Thursday, as dealers paused for breath after bumper gains so far this week.

In initial deals, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index dipped 0.3 percent to 6,342.93 points, before an interest rate decision from the Bank of England.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index added almost 0.2 percent to 10,042.28 points, while the Paris CAC 40 nudged nearly 0.1 percent lower to 4,487.22 compared with Wednesday's closing levels.

Asian equities rallied for a second straight session Thursday, tracking gains in New York where traders cheered surprisingly upbeat earnings from Wall Street titan JPMorgan Chase.