Water is set to replace oil as the commodity to watch, as soaring global demand and scarce supplies bring home the value of this most basic resource to investors, a director at an asset manager told CNBC Thursday.

Iron ore and coal miner Cleveland-Cliffs said on Wednesday that it would acquire Alpha Natural Resources for $10 billion in cash and stock, expanding its coal assets and positioning itself to capitalize on the boom in the global steel industry.

European stocks dropped 1.9 percent on Tuesday, knocked lower by growing fears over the fate of the financial services sector, but a steep fall in oil prices helped the market end above the session's lows.

The resource sector is still the smart investment now, while those attracted to beaten-down financial stocks should proceed with care, analysts told CNBC Europe.

With the credit crunch weighing on consumers' wallets, tap water is making a comeback.

Production at global miner Rio Tinto will increase as global demand for commodities continues to soar, while prices are likely to continue rising, the company's CFO Guy Elliott told "Squawk Box Europe" on Thursday.

Banks dominated European earnings Wednesday, as France's BNP Paribas and the Netherlands' ING Group reported falls in first-quarter profit due to the ongoing market turmoil.

A recent bear-market rally in Europe may be cut short next week, when stocks are likely to be dragged lower as investors balk at the rising price of oil and fears that the financial sector woes are not over, return to haunt the markets.

Chief executives from around Europe discussed their companies' earnings, opportunities and the challenges they face in 2008 with CNBC Europe Tuesday.

European shares fell on Tuesday, weighed down by banks and insurers after UBS sought to purge itself of the impact of the credit crisis and Swiss Re announced another round of writedowns.

Britain's leading shares ended flat on Thursday as British Airways soared on consolidation hopes, while Smith & Nephew weighed after an internal probe into its sales practices.

Chief executives from around Europe discussed their companies' earnings, opportunities and the challenges they face in 2008 with CNBC Europe Monday.

President Hugo Chavez Thursday announced the immediate nationalization of Venezuela's cement industry, a move that will hit Mexico's Cemex, just a year after Chavez launched a wave of state takeovers.

European stocks closed lower across the board Thursday, following two days of gains, as fears over the health of the global economy remained.

European markets remained lower Wednesday afternoon, paring back from the previous day's gains, after weak U.S. consumer confidence data and a surprise drop in durable goods fueled fears of a recession and sparking a further dollar weakness.