European stock markets closed mostly higher on Wednesday, swayed by lower-than-expected economic data from the United States. At the same time, investors considered fresh signals of a slowing US economy and awaited incoming earnings reports due later this week.

At the closing bell German DAX was up by 0.32% with Deutsche Boerse as the best performer, going up by 3.73%. The CAC 40 added 0.50% as Edenred SA marked a jump of 4.98%. The FTSE 100 advanced by 0.37%, led by Smith & Nephew which gained 5.82%. The Euro Stoxx 50 traded flat.

The euro traded 0.45% lower against the dollar, going for $1.13344 at 5:33 pm CET, while the British pound stood at $1.33368, down by 0.54%.