LONDON: European stock markets opened Tuesday on a mixed note with London down but Frankfurt and Paris edging higher.

In initial trade, London's benchmark FTSE 100 shares index fell 0.2 percent to 6,519.14 points compared with Monday's closing level, as investors digested news of Britain's rising unemployment rate.

On the upside in the eurozone, the Paris CAC 40 index gained almost 0.1 percent to 5,532.91 points and Frankfurt's DAX 30 increased by a similar proportion to stand at 13,232.91.