European stocks wobble amid mixed earnings, BOJ ahead

The stocks on the European indices fluctuated between gains and losses this Thursday, unable to hold onto a clear direction, as investors continue to absorb a string of corporate earnings report from the 19-nation bloc.

On the corporate news front, BNP gained 2.1% after its net income topped projections
Credit Suisse Group AG climbed 2.3% after unexpectedly returning to profit in Q2, while Shell slid 3.5%, after posting profit that was about half the expectations. Dialog tumbled 11% after the semiconductor company cut its full-year sales forecast.

Whilst the market derived some support from upbeat German employment numbers, the unemployment rate resilient at 6.1% in July, as expected, while the number of unemployed people dropped by 7,000, bettering forecast.

Currently, Germany's DAX 30 index trades muted around 10,320, while the UK's FTSE index trades -0.14% lower at 6,741. Among other European indices, the French CAC 40 index gains 0.16% to 4,454, while the pan-European Euro Stoxx 50 index drops -0.31% to 2,989 points.

Looking ahead, attention now turns towards the German harmonized CPI and US jobless claims data due later today. While the BOJ policy decision due tomorrow Asian morning will be closely eyed.