European stocks closed little changed at a 10-week high as a rally in mining companies offset slower-than-forecast economic growth in Japan.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index increased less than 0.1 percent to 306.08 at the close of trading, having earlier risen as much as 0.2 percent ad declined 0.6 percent. The benchmark gauge added 0.6 percent last week as better-than-forecast economic data in Europe and China outweighed concern that the Federal Reserve will reduce the pace of its bond-purchase program. The measure has rallied 9.4 percent this year.

Japan’s Topix lost 0.6 percent on a report that showed the nation’s economy expanded an annualized 2.6 percent in the second quarter, slowing from a revised 3.8 percent in the previous three months. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for 3.6 percent growth.

Still, the German Economy Ministry is predicting that growth in the second quarter was about 0.75 percent, according to a person familiar with the forecast, who asked not to be identified because the projection is confidential. That exceeds the 0.6 percent median of economist estimates. The Federal Statistics Office will release the data on Wednesday.

Euro-area stocks have risen half as much as global benchmarks this year, leaving them cheaper than equities in the U.S. and Asia as the region’s economy starts to recover from the longest recession on record.

National benchmark indexes advanced in 10 of the 18 western European markets today.

FTSE 100 6,574.34 -9.05 -0.14% CAC 40 4,071.68 -4.87 -0.12% DAX 8,359.25 +20.94 +0.25%  

Fresnillo, the world’s biggest primary silver producer, rallied 6.6 percent to 1,103 pence, leading a gauge of mining shares to the best performance among 19 industry groups in the Stoxx 600. Randgold Resources Ltd. advanced 2.5 percent to 4,841 pence. Gold and silver climbed for a fourth day.

Prudential Earnings

Prudential, the U.K.’s biggest insurer by market value, rose 4.1 percent to 1,232 pence, the highest price since at least September 1988. Operating profit climbed to 1.42 billion pounds ($2.2 billion) in the first half from 1.16 billion pounds a year earlier. That beat the 1.3 billion-pound estimate of 17 analysts provided by the company.

Catlin Group Ltd. rose 1.1 percent to 495.4 pence as HSBC Holdings Plc raised the second-largest Lloyd’s of London insurer by market value to overweight from neutral, meaning investors should buy the shares.

Opap SA gained 4 percent to 7.49 euros after Emma Delta, a Cyprus-based fund, signed a contract to buy a 33 percent stake in the Greek gambling company.

Telekom Austria slid 1.6 percent to 5.63 euros. Second-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell to 330.3 million euros ($439 million) from 364.8 million euros a year earlier. That compared with the average 332.7 million-euro analyst estimate.

Deutsche Boerse AG lost 2.7 percent to 53.94 euros. Equinet Bank AG trimmed its rating on the operator of the Frankfurt stocks exchange to sell from hold, citing the risk of consensus earnings downgrades.

U.S. stock-index futures declined amid data showing Japan’s economic growth slowed last quarter.

Global Stocks:

Nikkei  13,519.43 -95.76 -0.70%

Hang Seng 22,271.28 +463.72 +2.13%

Shanghai Composite 2,101.28 +49.05 +2.39%

FTSE  6,559.7 -23.69 -0.36%

CAC 4,063 -13.55 -0.33%

DAX 8,305.95 -32.36 -0.39%

Crude oil $105.59 -0.36%

Gold $1328.60 +1.25%

Upgrades:

Downgrades:

Other:

Stifel raises its Cisco (CSCO) tgt to $30 from $28

Needham lowers its Apple (AAPL) tgt to $595 from $710

European stocks fell from a 10-week high as a report showed Japan’s economy grew less than forecast last quarter. U.S. index futures declined while Asian shares were little changed.

The German Economy Ministry is predicting that growth in the second quarter was about 0.75 percent, according to a person familiar with the forecast, who asked not to be identified because the projection is confidential. That exceeds the 0.6 percent median of 46 economist estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Germany’s Federal Statistics Office will release the data on Wednesday.

Euro-area stocks have risen half as much as global benchmarks this year, leaving them cheaper than equities in the U.S. and Asia as the region’s economy starts to recover from the longest recession on record.

Telekom Austria slid 2.8 percent to 5.57 euros. Second-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell to 330.3 million euros ($439 million) from 364.8 million euros a year earlier. That compared with the average 332.7 million-euro analyst estimate.

Ladbrokes declined 3.1 percent to 192.9 pence as JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut the stock to underweight from neutral, meaning investors should sell the shares. The brokerage cited the weak outlook for U.K. retail and limited revenue growth in an increasingly competitive online market.

Prudential, the U.K.’s biggest insurer by market value, rose 2.5 percent to 1,214 pence. Operating profit climbed to 1.42 billion pounds ($2.2 billion) in the first half from 1.16 billion pounds a year earlier. That beat the 1.3 billion-pound estimate of 17 analysts provided by the company.

FTSE 100 6,567.41 -15.98 -0.24%

CAC 40 4,059.8 -16.75 -0.41%

DAX 8,272.62 -65.69 -0.79%

Asian stocks outside Japan rose as Chinese property developers and commodities companies climbed. Japanese shares fell after growth in the world’s third-largest economy slowed more than forecast.

Nikkei 225 13,519.43 -95.76 -0.70%

Hang Seng 22,224.9 +417.34 +1.91%

S&P/ASX 200 5,108.65 +53.44 +1.06%

Shanghai Composite 2,101.28 +49.05 +2.39%

Raw-materials suppliers led gains on the regional equities index, with BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s biggest miner, jumping 2.4 percent in Sydney.

China Resources Land Ltd., the second-largest mainland developer traded in Hong Kong, rose 2.5 percent amid speculation the government will relax a ban on companies raising funds through share sales.

Bridgestone Corp., Japan’s No. 1 tiremaker, advanced 2.8 percent after raising its full-year profit forecast.