European Markets Kick Off with Optimism

As traders returned from the May 1 holiday, European markets showed a positive start on Friday. The focus was on the latest developments in US-China trade negotiations, alongside anticipation for the euro zone's inflation figures scheduled for release later in the day.

Corporate Earnings Boost Market Sentiment

Significant earnings reports from Europe contributed to the upbeat mood. Standard Chartered and NatWest outperformed expectations, while Shell announced a substantial $3.5 billion share buyback following its impressive quarterly profits.

Market Highlights

By 9:01 am CET, France's CAC 40 had climbed 1.51%, with Schneider Electric leading the charge at a 4.58% increase. The UK's FTSE 100 wasn't far behind, rising 0.99%, thanks to Informa's 4.23% jump. Shortly after, the Eurostoxx 50 added 1.16%, and Germany's DAX surged 1.30%, or 306 points, propelled by Siemens Energy's 4.56% gain.

Currency Movements

The euro and pound also saw gains against the dollar, with the euro appreciating by 0.30% to $1.13240 and the pound increasing by 0.25% to $1.33111 at 8:58 am CET.