European stocks rise ahead of ECB, BoE statements; Dax up 0.70%

European stocks were higher on Thursday, as markets eyed monthly policy statements by the European Central Bank and the Bank of England later in the day. 

During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 advanced 0.67%, France’s CAC 40 gained 0.57%, while Germany’s DAX 30 climbed 0.70%. 
European equities remained supported amid expectations that the ECB will reiterate its pledge to keep rates on hold following its policy meeting. 

Meanwhile, investors continued to speculate over the timing of the Federal Reserve’s widely expected reduction in monthly bond purchases. 

Separately, investors still remained cautious after top congressional leaders, including Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Democrat Nancy Pelosi said they would back President Obama's call for military intervention in Syria. 

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution on authorizing limited U.S. military intervention in Syria, setting the stage for a debate in the full Senate, which is expected to vote on military action on September 9. 

Financial stocks were broadly higher, as BNP Paribas and Societe Generale climbing 0.45% and 0.74%, although Germany's Deutsche Bank rose 0.34%. 

Among peripheral lenders, Spanish banks Banco Santander and BBVA advanced 0.75% and 1.35% respectively, while Italy's Unicredit and Intesa Sanpaolo rallied 1.35% and 1.46%. 

Auto stocks were also on the upside, with BMW surging 4.11% and Daimler jumping 1.15%, following reports U.S. auto sales are expected to show a gain as high as 17% in August. 

In London, FTSE 100 jumped 1.02%, supported by gains in financial stocks. 

Shares in Barclays advanced 0.95% and HSBC Holdings rallied 1.92%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking surged 1.74% and 2.52% respectively. 

Elsewhere, Easyjet was one of the top performer, gaining 3.21%, after the airline company reported a 3.9% rise in passenger traffic figures in August. 

Also on the upside, Dixons Retail soared 8.25% after the electronics retailer received an offer from Mutares AG to buy its Pixmania stores. 

In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.09% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.10% rise, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.16% increase. 

Later in the day, Germany was to publish government data on factory orders, while the U.S. was to release the ADP nonfarm payrolls report on private sector job creation, as well as the weekly government report on initial jobless claims. 

In addition, the ISM was to release data on non-manufacturing activity in the U.S.