Shares in Europe opened lower Monday, following weakness in Asian markets, even as fiscal concerns in the region came to the fore once again.
At 12:45 p.m. (I.S.T.), Britain's FTSE, France's CAC and Germany's DAX were trading 0.2% lower each.
Financials were hit hard across the region amid news reports suggested European officials were considering extending the debt repayment period for Greece for about $490 billion of loans: Barclays, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole and Societe Generale lost 1.1% to 1.7%.
Miners were trading with a negative bias but close to the flat line as metal prices fell in the commodities market.
In news-driven stocks, ArcelorMittal rose 1% after Goldman Sachs upgraded the steel company's rating to 'buy'.