Shoppers pass along the main high street in Whitstable, UK.
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LONDON — European stocks opened in mixed territory on Wednesday, following positive momentum during the previous trading session.
The Stoxx 600 index was flat in early trade, up 0.02%, as sectors diverged. Mining stocks added 0.62%, while healthcare fell 0.42%.
U.K. inflation data for May was in line with expectations at 2.0%, hitting the Bank of England’s target ahead of its policy rate decision on Thursday. The Bank is widely expected to hold rates steady at 5.25%, with the majority of economists polled by Reuters forecasting a cut in August.
Data from the euro zone on Tuesday showed inflation in the single-currency euro area rose at an annual rate of 2.6% in May, up from 2.4% in April, the EU’s statistical office Eurostat confirmed in a final reading. Annual inflation within the wider EU was 2.7%, up from 2.6% the previous month.