The French market is higher on Friday, after data showed that confidence among German consumers is likely to stay unchanged in June. Sentiment was also influenced by a statement from Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, who said Italy can help persuade Germany to accept joint euro-area bonds, as a majority of leaders at EU summit backed them.
The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks is adding 0.15 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, is gaining 0.02 percent.
The CAC 40 index is up 0.27 percent.
Alcatel Lucent and Carrefour are rising 3.1 percent each. Axa is adding 1.7 percent.
Lenders Credit Agricole, Socitie Generale and BNP Paribas are advancing between 1.4 percent and 1.1 percent.
Renault is gaining 1.6 percent while Peugeot is losing 0.4 percent.
Elsewhere in Europe, the German DAX is up 0.74 percent and Switzerland's SMI is gaining 0.36 percent. The UK's FTSE 100 is falling 0.1 percent.
In economic news, a survey by market research group GfK showed that confidence among German consumers is likely to stay unchanged in June. The consumer confidence index for June was at 5.7, unchanged from the revised reading of May.
Meanwhile, French consumer sentiment continued to recover in May, survey results from the statistical office Insee revealed. The consumer confidence index rose to 90 from April's revised level of 89. Economists were expecting the index to remain at April's originally reported reading of 88.
Across Asia/Pacific, markets had a mixed outing. Australia's All Ordinaries lost 0.6 percent and China's Shanghai Composite Index retreated 0.7 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng and Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.25 percent and 0.20 percent, respectively.
In the U.S., futures point to a slightly higher open on Wall Street. In the previous session, the major averages bounced back and forth across the unchanged line, eventually ending the session mixed. While the Nasdaq fell 0.4 percent, the Dow rose 0.3 percent and the S&P 500 edged up 0.1 percent.
In the commodity space, crude for July delivery is adding $0.47 to $91.13 per barrel and June gold is rising $5.7 to $1563.2 a troy ounce.
by RTT Staff Writer
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