Europe open: Shares mixed as oil climbs back above $100

(Sharecast News) - European shares were mixed at the open on Thursday as oil prices skipped back above $100 a barrel and bonds were sold off amid fears of more interest rate hikes by central banks. The pan-regional Stoxx 600 index was flat at 0739 GMT with Britain's FTSE up 0.18%, Germany's DAX down 0.18, France's CAC 40 fell 0.12% and Italy's MIB declined by 0.21%.

Switzerland's SMI was up 0.15% ahead of a rate decision from the country's central bank.

Brent crude, having registered falls in recent days on hopes of talks between the US and Iran on lifting the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, was up 0.18% to $103 a barrel.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's speech to United Nations on Wednesday put paid to any hopes of immediate talks as he blamed the US and Israel for stoking global instability, effectively hitting back at US President Donald Trump's assertion that he was weighing whether to "annihilate" Iran.

Sentiment was also hit by a warning from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development that growth was slowing across a range of emerging market nations.

The EBRD, which covers 41 nations, expects growth of 2.5% this year, 0.6 percentage points below its June forecast.

In equity news, H&M shares fell after the fashion house posted results.

Troubled UK housebuilder Vistry posted a massive £661m loss in the first half of the year and cut full year guidance.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com