The European markets are modest to notably higher in afternoon trading Friday, after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi's comments lifted stocks in the previous session. Corporate reports from across the region influenced sentiment, ahead of the release of the U.S. GDP data.
Draghi on Thursday said the bank is prepared to take whatever measures needed to preserve the euro. "Within our mandate, the ECB is ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro," he told an investment conference in London. "And believe me, it will be enough," he stated.
The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks is adding 0.97 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, is gaining 0.66 percent.
The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks is adding 0.89 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, is gaining 0.67 percent.
The German DAX is adding 0.21 percent and the UK's FTSE 100 is rising 0.20 percent. The French CAC 40 is climbing 1.22 percent and Switzerland's SMI is gaining 0.73 percent.
In Frankfurt, Commerzbank is losing 1.9 percent and Deutsche bank is falling 0.6 percent.
Siemens is down 0.6 percent after Barclays cut the stock to ''Equalweight" from "Overweight."
S&P Equity raised Vossloh to "Hold" from "Sell." The stock is losing 2.7 percent.
Gea Group is dropping 3.7 percent. UBS lowered its rating on the stock.
ThyssenKrupp is climbing 1.1 percent. Linde is gaining around 1 percent after reporting higher profit for the first half of the year.
In Paris, EADS is surging 6.2 percent after second-quarter profit nearly quadrupled and the firm lifted its forecast.
Michelin is gaining around 6 percent. The tire maker said profit in the first half of the year increased significantly from last year, supported by a rise in revenues.
Lafarge is gaining 4.4 percent. The cement giant reported an adjusted flat profit for the second quarter, as revenue grew 5 percent.
Renault, Total and PPR are gaining notably after announcing results.
UBS cut Peugeot to "Neutral" from "Buy." The stock is down 1.4 percent.
Saint-Gobain is plunging over 11 percent and Vallourec is losing close to 9 percent after results discouraged investors.
In London, Anglo American is declining over 4 percent after announcing a plunge in first-half profit.
Pearson is falling 3.8 percent after profit declined in the first half of the year.
Barclays is climbing 5.6 percent. The company reported higher profit for the second quarter.
ITV is climbing 3.2 percent. Weir Group is advancing 2.9 percent.
Nokia is up 6 percent in Helsinki after Samsung said reportedly beat Apple, Inc. (AAPL) in second-quarter smartphone shipments.
In economic news, Germany's flash inflation data is due at 8.00 am ET, which may have some impact on the markets. Economists forecast EU harmonized inflation to ease to 1.9 percent in July from 2 percent in June. On a monthly basis, the harmonized index is seen rising 0.4 percent.
In the U.S., the Bureau of Economic Analysis is due to release its advance estimate of second quarter GDP at 8:30 am ET. Economists expect GDP growth of 1.2 percent for the quarter following a 1.9 percent increase in the previous quarter.
Across Asia/Pacific, markets reacted positively to the remarks made by Draghi. Australia's All Ordinaries and Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.5 percent each and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 2 percent. China's Shanghai Composite Index added 0.1 percent.
In the U.S., futures point to a higher open on Wall Street. In the previous session, stocks moved sharply higher during trading in response to comments made by Mario Draghi. The Dow jumped 1.7 percent, the Nasdaq surged up 1.4 percent and the S&P 500 soared 1.7 percent.
In the commodity space, crude for September delivery is adding $0.43 to $89.82 per barrel and August gold is rising $2.3 to $1617.4 a troy ounce.
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Market Analysis
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.