European equities held steady at the start of the week, with trading volumes thin as market participants paused for upcoming economic data that could shed light on the region's economic vitality.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index finished the London session essentially unchanged. The travel and leisure sector emerged as the top performer, buoyed by a pullback in Brent crude prices that lifted airline shares. In contrast, healthcare stocks lagged, dragged down by Siegfried Holding AG, whose shares gave back gains accumulated after its first-half results released last Friday. The retreat followed a wave of analyst downgrades for the Swiss pharmaceutical ingredients firm.

At the other end of the spectrum, Coloplast A/S was the benchmark's standout winner, advancing 5.5% after a UBS analyst noted that the investment case for the Danish medical devices maker has strengthened. Meanwhile, Ulrich Urbahn, head of multi-asset strategy and research at Berenberg, observed: "European equities are entering the week against a more fragile rate and inflation backdrop, but the earnings picture continues to improve."