European stock markets steady at open

European stock markets steadied at the start of trading on Friday, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index gaining 0.1% to 7 430.39 points.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index inched down a handful of points to 12 351.98, while the Paris CAC 40 was almost flat at 5 534.43 points, compared with closing levels on Thursday.