The FTSE 100 added 0.8% to 8,448.34, CAC 40 added 0.8% to 8,253.19, DAX advanced 0.8% to 18,830.43, Nikkei 225 advanced 0.4% to 38,229.11, S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4% to 7,749.00, Kospi rose 0.6% to 7,749.00, Hang Seng climbed 2.3% to 18,963.68, while the Shanghai Composite inched up less than 0.1% to 3,154.55
Global shares traded higher Friday after a rally on Wall Street that pulled the S&P 500 back within 1% of its record.
In London, the FTSE 100 added 0.8% to 8,448.34 as the government reported that the British economy rebounded strongly in the first three months of the year, bringing to an end to what economists termed a “technical recession.”
France’s CAC 40 added 0.8% in early trading to 8,253.19, while Germany’s DAX advanced 0.8% to 18,830.43.
The futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) advanced 0.3% while that for the S&P 500 added 0.4%.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 advanced 0.4% to close at 38,229.11.
The Japanese Finance Ministry reported a record current account surplus for the fiscal year through March, as strong auto exports whittled down its trade deficit and the nation racked up solid returns on overseas investments.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4% to 7,749.00 and South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.6% to 7,749.00.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng climbed 2.3% to 18,963.68, while the Shanghai Composite was little changed, inching up less than 0.1% to 3,154.55.
Chinese price data, expected Saturday, are being watched to see if the economy might be regaining momentum.
Despite efforts, China has grappled with consumer deflation for around a year, presenting a formidable challenge that Beijing has yet to overcome, said Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management.
On Thursday, the S&P 500 increased 0.5% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.8%. The Nasdaq composite advanced 0.3%.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said last week that the central bank remains closer to cutting its main interest rate than raising it, despite a series of high inflation this year.
A cooler-than-expected jobs report on Friday has indicated the U.S. economy could manage to avoid being either too hot or too cold.
