(MENAFN- AFP) Europe's main stock markets recovered slightly on Wednesday following sharp losses the previous session as oil prices recovered on positive Chinese data, traders said.
Around 1000 GMT, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 0.6 percent compared with Tuesday's close, as markets awaited minutes from the Federal Reserve's last meeting.
In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index edged up 0.1 percent and the Paris CAC 40 won 0.6 percent.
The euro was lower against the dollar.
Europe's leading indices had slumped on Tuesday, with Frankfurt shedding 2.6 percent in value, as anxiety about slowing economic growth and a potentially poor earnings season led to heavy selling.
Tokyo's benchmark index closed lower for the seventh straight session on Wednesday.
"European equities are... showing early signs of a rebound after yesterday's hefty losses," said Markus Huber, a trader at City of London Markets.
"Encouraging economic data out of China overnight... is providing much needed good news for stocks as negative sentiment has gained momentum over the past few days.
"Furthermore German industrial production declined less in February than previously thought," Huber added.
Most Asian markets edged up Wednesday but early gains from an oil rally tapered off, with worries about the global economy and the upcoming earnings season keeping traders on edge.
The return of nervousness to global markets put further pressure on the dollar, which was sitting at 17-month lows against the yen.
After a confident rebound in March, analysts suggest dealers from Asia to the Americas may be concerned that the advances -- which followed January and February's bloodbath -- were a little overdone.
Tokyo ended down 0.1 percent on Wednesday, retreating for a seventh straight day as a strong yen overshadowed a surge in utilities.
Wall Street stocks dropped Tuesday, contrasting with last week when equities won a brief rally after the US Federal Reserve expressed a cautious path to future interest rates.
Since the central bank's last policy meeting, official data have pointed to a solid jobs market and positive manufacturing activity in the world's biggest economy.
"After a better than expected jobs report on Friday, all eyes will be on the... meeting minutes for March, due for release on Wednesday evening," said James Hughes, chief market analyst at GKFX.
"What we must remember about the US economy is that recent numbers have not been bad, and still show that the economy could sustain further rate rises this year," he added in a note to clients.
In corporate activity Wednesday, shares in Air France-KLM slumped around 5.0 percent, a day after the company said Alexandre de Juniac is to resign as chairman and CEO to take charge of aviation industry group IATA.
Glencore dropped 1.2 percent after the commodities giant announced it was selling nearly half of its vast agriculture business to a Canadian pension fund for $2.5 billion (2.2 billion euros), in cash.
- Key figures around 1000 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 6,126.50
Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.1 percent at 9,571.67
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.6 percent at 4,275.94
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.5 percent at 2,904.40
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.1 percent at 15,715.36 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,050.59 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.2 percent at 20,206.67 (close)
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.8 percent at 17,603.32 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1353 from $1.1384 on Tuesday
Dollar/yen: UP at 110.44 yen from 110.28 yen
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