The French market is trading higher on Friday, following firm cues from Asia and a strong rally in the U.S. overnight, after a report in The Wall Street Journal said that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke would act soon to quell investor fear on stimulus tapering.
Bernanke is scheduled to appear on Capitol Hill on July 17 and 18 to deliver his semi-annual 'Humphrey Hawkins' testimony. This will give the Fed Chief another chance to introduce some clarity on the issue of stimulus.
Bernanke is likely to confirm that the Fed expects a considerable amount of time between ending the bond-buying program and raising short-term rates, the report added.
Closer home, Eurozone's annual inflation accelerated in May as initially estimated, final data released by statistical office Eurostat showed. Meanwhile, employment fell notably in the first quarter.
The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks is adding 0.14 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, is falling 0.27 percent.
The CAC 40 index is currently gaining 0.2 percent.
Michelin is gaining 3.7 percent after demand for tires increased in Brazil last month. Vallourec and Renault are up above 2 percent.
Lenders Societe Generale, Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas are firmly in the green.
Among notable losers are Vivendi, Alstom, Essilor and Danone.
Elsewhere in Europe, the German DAX and Switzerland's SMI are in positive territory while the UK's FTSE 100 has turned negative.
Across Asia/Pacific, markets ended higher. Australia's All Ordinaries and Japan's Nikkei 225 added 1.9 percent each. China's Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.6 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.4 percent.
In the U.S., futures point to a mixed open on Wall Street, ahead of economic reports on producer prices, industrial production and consumer sentiment.
In the previous session, stocks gained ground, as a pair of upbeat reports on first-time claims for unemployment benefits and retail sales helped investors shrug off sharp losses elsewhere in Asia. The Dow rose 1.2 percent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 1.3 percent and the S&P 500 added 1.5 percent.
In the commodity space, crude for July delivery is adding $0.34 to $97.03 per barrel and August gold is rising $1.6 to $1379.4 a troy ounce.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
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.