Brussels, April 23 (QNA) - European stock markets opened Thursday's trading without a clear direction, affected by concerns over the continuation of tensions in West Asia, coinciding with the announcement of earnings by many companies.

Among the major markets, France's CAC 40 index on the Paris Stock Exchange rose by 0.39 percent, while Germany's DAX index in Frankfurt fell by 0.22 percent.

The UK's FTSE 100 index also declined by 0.51 percent, and Italy's FTSE MIB index on the Milan Stock Exchange dropped by 0.15 percent. (QNA)