Market Update
European markets trended higher Friday, looking set to register their third straight weekly gain.
The FTSE gained 0.3%. The CAC 40 Paris edged up 0.1% while the German DAX was up 0.2%.
Ahead of the closely-watched jobs report due later in the day from the U.S., the markets were also given some support from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi in his press briefing yesterday when he said the bank had not ruled out stimulus measures like quantitative easing.
Earlier today, data showed German factory orders rose 0.6% in February, and better than expectations for a mere 0.1% gain.
Stocks on the Move
easyJet PLC soared about 3% in London after reporting healthy passenger growth in March from a year ago.
RBS was up half a percent. The lender earlier named Ewen Stevenson of Credit Suisse Group as its chief financial officer.
Barclays and HSBC also gained about half a percent each while Lloyds Banking Group was up 1.1%.
Miners were also mostly higher with Anglo American, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, and Vedanta all up to a percent higher.
Schneider Electric was down half a percent after it said it was in talks with private equity groups to sell its sensors business.
Airbus was up 1.4% after it said Delta Air Lines is looking at buying as many as 50 wide-body jets.
Siemens AG edged up 0.3% after a company executive told local media the group is considering more acquisitions in the IT sector.