FTSE 100 up 0.01%; DAX up 0.10%; CAC 40 up 0.32% (Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Milan, 17 Jun - European shares erased earlier gains and were little changed in cautious midday trade, with the Stoxx 600 index down 0.04%.

Investors remained of the sidelines after a turbulent week, as they looked ahead to the latest interest rate decision from the Bank of England due on Thursday.

The central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady at 5.25%, with a majority of economists polled by Reuters forecasting a cut in August.

The region's stock markets sank last week on political uncertainty after the latest European Union elections showed a broader shift towards right-wing and far-right parties, and French president Emmanuel Macron called for snap legislative elections later in June as his party lagged Marine Le Pen's far-right party in the EU vote.

France's CAC 40 index fell more than 6.2% last week, marking its worst weekly drop since March 2022.

Global investors also digested mixed economic data from China that underscored the country's bumpy recovery.

Retail sales in the world's second-biggest economy rose 3.7% in May, topping forecasts of a 3% rise from a Reuters poll of economists, but industrial output and fixed-asset investment both came in lower than expected.

Oil provers were littler changed in cautious trade after a survey on Friday showed weaker US consumer demand and as China's May crude production rose. Oil prices inched up last week despite conflicting signals from OPEC and the IEA, with OPEC reiterating its forecast for robust oil demand growth of over 2 million barrels daily this year, while the International Energy Agency slashed its oil demand growth forecast for 2024 and warned of a looming supply glut.

At 1105 GMT the London FTSE 100 was up 0.01% at 8,147 points, the Frankfurt DAX was up 0.10% at 18,037 points, the Paris CAC 40 up 0.32% at 7,527 points, while in Milan the FTSE MIB rose 0.46% at 32,817 points, and in Madrid the IBEX 35 was down 0.45% at 10,942 points.

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(RADIOCOR) 17-06-24 13:46:29 (0313) 5 NNNN