Europe midday: Stocks slightly higher as investors monitor progress in restarting economies

Stocks across the Continent were trading in mixed fashion as investors monitored news of countries' progress in partially reopening their economies.

The number of new Covid-19 infections fell back on Tuesday, but only after a cluster was detected at the weekend thet stoked concerns about China's ability to re-start its economy.

Meanwhile, in Germany, the latest data from Johns Hopkins University showed a rise in the daily number of new infections from 555 on Monday to 697 for Tuesday.

"Western economies currently taking small steps towards re-opening and ending lockdowns will be examining the performance of China, just as they monitored its virus containment efforts, in the uncomfortable knowledge that they face the same challenges in bringing their economies back to some semblance of normality," said IG chief market analyst Chris Beauhamp.

As of 1215 GMT, the German Dax was trading 0.37% higher at 10,865.15, alongside a 0.12% dip on the Cac-40 to 4,484.31, while the FTSE Mibtel was putting on 1.1% to 17,572.07.

Front month Brent crude oil futures were higher alongside, advancing by 2.94% to $30.5 a barrel on the ICE.

Boosting sentiment, figures released overnight in China revealed the first increase in automobile sales fo 22 months.

And at a press conference, China's foreign ministry spokesman said the recent US-China Phase One trade deal was beneficial for the two sides.

Earlier, an editorial in the state-run Global Times had indicated that some government advisers in Beijing were calling for the deal to be renegotiated.