ROME: Europe’s stock markets have climbed in opening trade, with London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index up 0.28 per cent at 7,003.88 points.
Elsewhere on Monday, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 gained 0.43 per cent to 11,462.97 points and the CAC 40 in Paris added 0.42 per cent to 5,029.05 compared with the close on Friday.
This week Greece is expected to once again remain in sharp focus ahead of a key debt repayment due to the International Monetary Fund on Friday.
In the past few weeks there have been divergent comments from Greek officials on whether Athens will be able to pay that next tranche of €300 million ($US329 million). Greece is scheduled to repay a total of €1.6 billion to the IMF over the period between June 5 and June 19.
“Greece remains a nagging distraction and potential source of volatility with further mixed signals likely leading up to [June 5],” strategists at Société Générale wrote in a note.
In the shorter term, investors will be eyeing eurozone manufacturing data Monday morning, as well as German consumer price data and US manufacturing figures for May later in the session.
In commodity markets Brent crude fell 1.2 per cent to $US64.77 a barrel while gold was broadly flat on the day at $US1,190 per troy ounce.
