European stocks remain higher after mixed E.Z. data; Dax up 0.28%

European stocks remained higher on Monday, after the release of mixed euro zone data, while uncertainty over the future of the Federal Reserve's stimulus program persisted. 

During European afternoon trade, the EURO STOXX 50 climbed 0.65%, France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.65%, while Germany’s DAX 30 added 0.28%. 

Official data showed that the unemployment rate in the euro zone ticked up to 12.1% in May from 12% in April, compared to expectations for a reading of 12.3%.

Another report showed that consumer price inflation in the euro zone rose to 1.6% in June from 1.4% in May, in line with expectations. 

Meanwhile, investors remained cautious amid expectations that the Fed will soon start tapering its USD85 billion-a-month bond buying program. Investors were awaiting Friday’s U.S. nonfarm payrolls data, with good data set to bolster the dollar further. 

Financial stocks were mixed. In France, BNP Paribas added 0.28% and Societe Generale tumbled 1.29%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank slid 0.32%.

Among peripheral lenders, Spanish bank BBVA declined 0.47% and Banco Santander surged 2.04%, while Italy's Unicredit and Intesa Sanpaolo gained 0.06% and 0.73% respectively. 

Elsewhere, Aker Solutions rose 0.36% after saying it signed a contract worth as much as USD440 million to deliver the subsea production system to an oil field development in the U.K.’s North Sea. 

Adding to gains, cellphone maker Nokia Oyj soared 7.52% after agreeing to buy Siemens' stake in their joint venture. 

In London, FTSE 100 jumped 0.78% after data showed that manufacturing activity in the U.K. expanded at the fastest pace in more than two years in June. 

Financial stocks turned mostly higher, as shares in Lloyds Bankingrallied 1.08% and HSBC Holdings surged 1.56%, while Barclays added 0.18%. The Royal Bank of Scotland remained on the downside however, slipping 0.11%. 

Mining stocks also turned broadly higher, with Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton climbing 0.50% and 0.74% respectively, while and Anglo American and Polymetal jumped 0.99% and 4.74%. 

In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.52% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.46% rise, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.62% climb. 

Also Monday, Markit research group said that Spain's manufacturing purchasing managers' index rose to 50.0 in June, from a reading of 48.1 the previous month, beating expectations for a rise to 48.5 and re-entering expansion territory for the first time sine May 2011. 

Later in the day, the U.S., the Institute of Supply Management was to produce a report on manufacturing activity.