Eurozone stock markets pushed higher yesterday after Greek lawmakers adopted further austerity measures, while falling commodity prices tripped up London. 
Investors greeted Greece’s parliament voting for a controversial package of pension cuts and tax hikes, essential conditions for the country to get its next dose of bailout loans and avoid a new crisis. 
“European stocks were mostly firmer yesterday, though a reversal in commodity prices erased much of the early gains,” said market analyst Jasper Lawler at CMC Markets UK. 
London’s FTSE 100 was down 0.2% at 6,114.81 points, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 was up 1.1% at 9,980.49 points, Paris’ CAC 40 was up 0.5% at 4,322.81 points, the EURO STOXX 50 was up 0.5% at 2,952.17 points, at close.
“Free-falling iron ore and copper prices are a serious headwind to FTSE 100 mining stocks,” said Lawler. 
Miner Anglo American tumbled 13.8%, Glencore slumped 9.0%, Rio Tinto shed 7.9% and BHP Billiton fell 6.1% as iron ore prices slumped around 9% and copper shed 2%. 
Meanwhile, Frankfurt rose sharply after data showed German industrial orders, a key measure of demand, rebounded 1.9% in March on the back of stronger than expected foreign demand. 
ING’s Carsten Brzeski noted that “even if monthly new orders data is too volatile to be a really reliable indicator of what is going on in the industry, today’s numbers give some hope that the stagnation since last summer is gradually fading away”. 
Meanwhile, hopes rose for Greece to receive much-needed debt relief after Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said he wants a deal agreed on May 24. 
Athens’ main stocks index closed up 0.74%. 
“There is quite some relief where Greece is concerned,” said trader Markus Huber at City of London Markets. 
Wall Street opened moderately higher on Monday with the Dow adding 0.2%. 
Elsewhere, initially oil prices jumped after Canadian producers cut back output as huge wildfires spread in Alberta, but had turned back down in afternoon trading. 
Crude market dealers were keeping watch also on Saudi Arabia, which at the weekend sacked its long-serving oil minister in a major government overhaul.