(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Milano, 21 apr - European share prices opened mixed, amid cautious sentiment as investors monitor the latest diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict between the US and Iran.

Markets are focusing on reports of upcoming talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the hostilities and reopening the critical Strait of Hormuz before the current ceasefire expires this week.

While US president Donald Trump has indicated he is unlikely to extend the truce without a finalized deal, his expressed confidence that Iran will negotiate has provided a fragile backdrop for market sentiment.

On the data front, the UK unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 4.9% in the three months from December 2025 to February 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Attention is now turning to Germany's ZEW economic survey, which is expected to provide fresh signals on the health of the continent's largest economy.

At 0710 GMT, London's FTSE 100 was down 0.01% at 10,608.36 points while in Frankfurt the DAX was 0.36% higher at 24,533.50 points and in Paris the CAC 40 fell 0.17% to 8,316.63 points. Milan's FTSE MIB gained 0.23% to 48,318.50 points while in Madrid the IBEX 35 was 0.19% higher at.

18,296.40 points.

(RADIOCOR) 21-04-26 09:36:48 (0221) 5 NNNN