New York - Global stocks mostly fell Thursday as lackluster economic data and lower oil prices weighed on sentiment.
But traders also stayed cautious with many leading markets closed on Friday and Monday for the Easter weekend holiday.
Buying enthusiasm in Europe was dented by data showing a drop in German consumer confidence and lower British retail sales in February. Analysts also cited weak oil prices, although prices narrowed losses late in the day.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 fell 1.5%, Frankfurt's DAX 30 1.7%, and the Paris CAC 40 2.1%. Tokyo Nikkei index slid 0.6%.
In the US, government reports showed lower durable goods orders in February and a modest increase in weekly jobless claims.
But US stocks turned a corner near the end of the session on news the US oil rig count fell by 15 this week, lifting oil prices from session lows and triggering a rally in stocks.
The rally "is a little bit of a reaction to oil coming back," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities.
Most banking shares were in retreat, with French giant Societe General dropping 4.0%, Deutsche Bank 3.8% and the US' Citigroup 1.0%.
In London, the share prices of mining group Anglo American and Rio Tinto fell sharply.
But US oil stocks such as ConocoPhillips and Halliburton both advanced about 0.5% and commodities-linked stocks like aluminum producer Alcoa and metals giant Freeport-McMoRan rose 2.7% and 3.7%, respectively.
Japanese trading houses Mitsui and Mitsubishi ended Thursday's session deeply in the red as both are expected to log their first ever full-year net loss due to impairments on resource projects.
Mitsui, which on Wednesday said it expects an annual net loss of around $620m, slumped 7.5%, and Mitsubishi tumbled 4.1%.
Markets in Europe, the United States, Latin America, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia are closed Friday and most of those - the United States notably excluded - will remain shuttered on Monday.