The Stoxx Europe 600 index XX:SXXP +0.24% gained 0.2% to 287.71.
Shares of Heineken NV NL:HEIA +4.45% jumped 5.1%, after the brewer said 2012 revenue and profit were boosted by emerging markets and that it expects volume and revenue growth to continue in 2013. See: Heineken upbeat on volume, sales for 2013 .
On a downbeat note, ING Groep NV NL:INGA -1.86% fell 3.3%. The Dutch bank reported fourth-quarter results below expectations and said it would slash 2,400 jobs to cut costs.
For the broader European market, investors trained their attention on data showing industrial production in the euro zone rose 0.7% in December, beating expectations of a 0.3% rise.
“Industrial production rose across the euro area in December, but the increase follows steep falls in each of the previous three months and care should therefore be taken in interpreting this single data point as the start of a recovery,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit.
“The worry is that signs of improvements are by no means universal, and skewed heavily towards Germany. Of greatest concern is France, which appears to be bucking the wider trend and suffering an increased rate of decline at the start of 2013,” he said.
In the U.S., data showed retail sales grew 0.1% in January, slightly beating market expectations of a flat reading. Excluding the auto sector, retail sales climbed 0.2%. See: U.S. retail sales inch up 0.1% in January
U.S. stock futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street. See: Stock futures edge up; all eyes on retail sales
In Asia, the Australian market finished at the highest level in almost 4½ years, helped by corporate earnings. See: Asia markets end mostly up; earnings lift Sydney
Closer to home, the Bank of England’s Quarterly Inflation Report was on investors’ minds. The central bank raised its forecast for inflation, signaling it will overshoot its 2% target over the two-year forecast period and said the economy is likely to post slow growth. BOE Governor Mervyn King further warned that tightening policy in an attempt to bring inflation to target posed the risk of “derailing the recovery.” See: BOE's King: Tighter policy could derail recovery
The FTSE 100 index UK:UKX +0.17% rose 0.2% to 6,349.18, with miners tracking metals prices higher. Shares of Rio Tinto PLC UK:RIO +1.85% AU:RIO +2.07% RIO -0.30% rose 1.9% and BHP Billiton PLC UK:BLT +1.56% BHP +0.06% AU:BHP +0.88% added 1.6%. Read more about London stocks .
Shares of Vodafone Group PLC UK:VOD -1.33% VOD +0.11% lost 1.4% on rumors the wireless telecom firm may buy network operator Kabel Deutschland Holding AG DE:KD8 +8.29% . A representative from Vodafone said the company doesn’t comment in market rumors. Shares of Kabel Deutschland rallied 8.1%. See: Vodafone may buy Kabel Deutschland: report
In Paris, shares of oil group Total SA FR:FP -0.33% TOT +0.33% inched 0.1% higher. The French firm said its fourth-quarter earnings were boosted by higher refining margins and crude prices. See: Total earnings boosted by refining, crude prices .
