European equities mixed ahead of Easter break

European equity markets closed mixed on Thursday ahead of the long Easter holiday weekend and on the eve of crucial US jobs data.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index of top companies ended the day up 0.35 percent to 6,833.46 points and the CAC 40 in Paris rose 0.24 percent to 5,074.14 points.
Frankfurt's DAX 30 index dipped 0.28 percent to 11,976.39 points erasing Wednesday's gains, hit partly by ongoing worries over Greece.
All three main European stock markets will remain closed on Friday and Monday for public holidays, before reopening for business on Tuesday.
The region's indices had risen slightly Wednesday on the back of upbeat manufacturing data in China and the eurozone.
"The business week finishes today for many ahead of the extended Easter weekend; however, (US) non-farm payrolls are still to be released tomorrow (Friday)," said analyst Angus Campbell at trading firm FxPro.
US stocks pushed up Thursday as traders took a cautious stance with Wall Street also to be closed on Friday for the Easter weekend.
Around midday in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.11 percent to 17,718.23 points.
The broad-based S&P 500 gained 0.34 percent to 2,066.62, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite rose 0.17 percent to 4,888.73.
In foreign exchange activity on Thursday, the European single currency rose to $1.0874 from $1.0760 late in New York on Wednesday.
- Rocky weeks ahead -
London's market won a lift from news of rebounding fourth-quarter sales at retailer Marks & Spencer.
M&S shares rallied as much as 6.13 percent in early trades before closing up 4.43 percent at 554.00 pence.
Asian stock markets climbed Thursday after the previous day's losses, but expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate hike were hit by weak US data.
Hong Kong advanced 0.77 percent, Tokyo jumped 1.46 percent, Shanghai rose 0.41 percent and Sydney rose 0.64 percent in value.
Analysts have warned of rocky weeks ahead after a strong rally across global equity markets in the first three months of the year, as Greece attempts to reform its bailout and oil prices struggle.
Expectations for an early summer US rate hike were also dashed Wednesday after data showed growth in the manufacturing sector slowed for the fifth straight month in March and construction spending dipped in February, led by a decline in public construction.
On Thursday data on US trade in February and initial claims for unemployment last week showed signs of strength in the economy.
But it was not clear how that would translate into the Labor Department's March jobs report on Friday, and traders will not have much chance to react to that until the beginning of next week.