European markets are expected to open mixed on Monday morning, as Spain’s constitutional crisis continued to aggravate investors’ concerns about political unity in the region.

Looking to the major bourses, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 is expected to open 3 points higher at 7,519, while the German DAX is set to start on a positive note, up 9 points at 12,990; and the French CAC down 6 points at 5,364, according to IG.

Spain’s biggest political crisis in decades moves in to a decisive week on Monday, as Madrid seeks to impose its control of the restive region. The Spanish government has urged Catalans to accept its decision to dismiss their secessionist leadership amid speculation that the regional President, Carlos Puigdemont, is planning to press ahead with a unilateral declaration of independence.

Prior to the market open on Monday morning, Dutch health and technology company, Philips, reported that its core profits rose 12 percent to 532 million euros ($626.11 million) in the third quarter. The firm said strong growth in China had pushed sales up 4 percent.

In international markets, major indexes in Aisa traded slightly higher on Monday, after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looked to have comfortably won in national elections over the weekend.

Source: cnbc
Europe shares set for mixed open as investors look to earnings, Catalonia crisis