Market Update
Shares in Europe opened with a negative bias early Monday but trimmed some losses later to trade choppy, amid M&A news.
At 1 p.m. (I.S.T.), Britain's FTSE and Germany's DAX rose 0.1% while France's CAC was flat.
In deal news, chemicals firm Solway said it would buy rival Rhodia for $4.84 billion in an all-cash deal. Solway rose 3.5% while Rhodia rocketed 50% on the news.
Financials and miners provided early strength to the indexes: Barclays, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole and Societe Generale rose 0.3% to 1% while BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata gained 0.4% to 0.9%.
Abroad, Asian markets advanced, tracking a positive close on Wall Street Friday, even as investors kept an eye on rising crude oil prices, which topped the $108 per barrel mark.