Oli Scarff | Getty Images<\/p>\n
LONDON \u2014 European stocks are expected to open broadly higher on Thursday as regional traders keep an eye on the latest economic data from the region.<\/p>\n
The U.K.’s FTSE<\/a> index is seen 0.11% higher, Germany’s DAX<\/a> up 0.12%, France’s CAC 40<\/a>\u00a0flat and Italy’s FTSE MIB<\/a> up 0.13%, according to data from IG.<\/p>\n Traders will be keeping an eye on the latest flash (or preliminary) euro zone and U.K. purchasing managers’ index data for an indication of economic activity in the region. No major earnings reports are due in Europe on Thursday.<\/p>\n Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose<\/a> overnight, with Australian stocks among the top gainers. The positive sentiment in Asia was a departure from the mood on Wall Street on Wednesday as tech stocks dragged the broader market lower. U.S. stock futures<\/a> were little changed in overnight trading.<\/p>\n Minutes from Federal Reserve’s July meeting<\/a>, published Wednesday,\u00a0showed policymakers are worried about the state of the labor market and inflation, though most agreed that it was too soon to lower interest rates.<\/p>\n Fed Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman\u00a0dissented<\/a>\u00a0against holding rates steady, marking the first time two voting Fed officials have done so since 1993.<\/p>\n Traders are also focusing on key speeches from Fed officials when they convene in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the\u00a0Fed’s annual economic symposium<\/a>\u00a0on Thursday. Fed Chair\u00a0Jerome Powell<\/a> is due to speak on Friday, with investors looking for clues on the path of interest rates.<\/p>\n