BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks were mixed on Monday after face-to-face Brexit talks restarted on Saturday, raising hopes of a breakthrough. The U.K. and the EU are in the 'last leg of negotiations' over a post-Brexit trade agreement, according to Britain's foreign minister.
The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 was marginally higher at 393.35 after gaining 0.4 percent on Friday. The German DAX and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 rose around 0.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 index was down 0.2 percent.
Italian lender UniCredit tumbled 4.2 percent ahead of a board meeting on Sunday to discuss governance issues.
Aegon NV shares climbed 2.8 percent. The Dutch life insurer said that it agreed to sell its insurance, pension and asset management business in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Turkey to Vienna Insurance Group for 830 million euros.
ABN Amro lost more than 5 percent. The Dutch bank said it expects a further reduction of staff of around 15 percent by 2024, mostly from 2022 on-wards.
HSBC Holdings declined 1.2 percent. According to the Financial Times, the bank is mulling a complete exit from its U.S. retail banking operations.
AstraZeneca advanced 1.7 percent. The drug maker said its Forxiga has been approved in Japan for the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure.
Lloyds Banking Group climbed 1.2 percent after it named Charlie Nunn as its new chief executive.
Indivior soared 7 percent. The drug maker said it would vigorously defend against a legal claim from Reckitt Benckiser Group.
Oil & gas company BP Plc and Total SE fell nearly 2 percent each as oil prices retreated ahead of a meeting of producer group OPEC+ to decide whether to extend large output cuts.
Sanofi SA shares rose 0.7 percent. The French pharmaceutical company and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. said that their Dupixent product has won approval from the European Commission to treat children 6 to 11 years of age with severe atopic dermatitis.
Wacker Chemie AG rallied 6.5 percent. The German chemical company said that it is currently in advanced discussions with GlobalWafers Co. Ltd. regarding the sale of its entire stake in Siltronic of about 30.8 percent of Siltronic's total shares outstanding.
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