European stocks mixed to lower, focus on G20; Dax down 0.16%

European stocks were mixed to lower on Friday, as concerns over the worsening of the debt crisis in the euro zone continued to weigh on sentiment, while investors eyed the beginning of a G20 summit later in the day. 

During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 edged 0.14% lower, France’s CAC 40 inched up 0.07%, while Germany’s DAX 30 slipped 0.16%. 

Sentiment weakened on Thursday, after official data showed that euro zone gross domestic product contracted by 0.6% in the three months to December, compared to expectations for a 0.4% decline, after a 0.1% contraction in the third quarter.

It was the fastest rate of decline since 2009 and marked a third consecutive quarter of contraction.

In addition, Germany’s economy, the euro zone’s largest, contracted by 0.6% in the in the fourth quarter, more than expectations for a 0.5% drop on declining exports and investment. 

Financial stocks were mostly higher, as German lenders Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank rose 0.19% and 3.39%, while France's BNP Paribas added 0.24%. Societe Generale underperformed on the other hand, dropping 0.59%. 

Meanwhile, peripheral lenders trended broadly lower. Shares in Spanish banks BBVA and Banco Santander declined 0.01% and 0.84%, while Italy's Unicredit and Intesa Sanpaolo retreated 0.51% and 1.01% respectively. 

Elsewhere, PPR surged 5.54% after saying its recurring operating income climbed 19% to EUR1.79 billion. The company added that it expects its performance to improve further in 2013. 

In London, FTSE 100 fell 0.19%, weighed by losses in financial stocks and after data showed that retail sales in the U.K. fell unexpectedly in January. 

Shares in HSBC Holdings slipped 0.15% and Barclays dropped 0.77%, while Lloyds Banking and the Royal Bank of Scotland tumbled 1.20% and 1.64%. 

Meanwhile, mining stocks were mostly higher, as BHP Billiton climbed 0.47%, while copper producers Xstrata and Kazakhmys added 0.13% and 0.47% respectively. 

Oil and gas major Anglo American added to gains, rallying 2.83%, as full-year earnings per share beat analysts' estimates. 

In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.18% fall, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.23% decline, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.20% loss. 

Later in the day, the euro zone was to publish data on the trade balance, while the U.S. was to publish data on manufacturing activity in New York state and industrial production. In addition, the University of Michigan was to release preliminary data on consumer sentiment and inflation expectations.