Europe stocks little changed as investors await Greek debt talks

European stocks were little changed before a meeting between Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis and his euro-area counterparts in Brussels.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index dropped 0.1 percent to 372.56 at 8:07 a.m. in London. Stocks climbed Tuesday amid investor optimism that Greece can reach an agreement on new bailout terms with its euro-region creditors.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble subsequently damped hopes of a compromise at today?s emergency meeting, saying there are no plans to discuss a new agreement. Still, the Mediterranean nation?s prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, said there is ?no way back? for his government, and he wants a new accord that won?t subject his people to more pain.

Greece is trying to drum up support for a 10 billion-euro ($11.3 billion) bridge plan to stave off a funding crunch and buy time to win an easing in austerity terms from creditors. Any deal would require a softening of Germany?s stance.

Among stocks moving on corporate news today, Norsk Hydro ASA jumped 4.5 percent after Europe?s third-biggest producer of aluminum posted a narrower net loss and higher-than-estimated revenue for the fourth quarter.

ING Groep NV rose 2.7 percent. The Dutch financial-services company plans to pay a dividend for the first time in almost seven years after repaying a state bailout, even as profit from its banking activities fell in the fourth quarter.

Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc added 3.9 percent. The consumer-products maker plans a new cost-saving initiative to counter tough market conditions as fourth-quarter sales growth beat estimates.

Glencore Plc gained 0.7 percent and Lonmin Plc slid 4.9 percent. The mining and commodities trading company headed by billionaire Ivan Glasenberg said it...