European stocks are expected to open higher on Friday as regional markets resume trading after being closed for the Christmas holidays.
According to IG data, the FTSE 100 is expected to open 34 points higher at 8,136, while the German DAX is expected to gain 40 points at 19,888 and the French CAC 40 is expected to gain 21 points to open at 7,293.
Investors are watching economic data from China, where official figures showed industrial gains in the world’s second-largest economy signed in November for the fourth consecutive month.
The data printing came a day after the World Bank raised its growth forecasts for China in 2024 and 2025, but warned that the country’s economy would remain under pressure amid subdued business confidence and ongoing uncertainty in China’s struggling real estate sector.
The markets were mixed overnight in Asia as traders reacted to the latest Chinese data as well as the latest inflation numbers from Japan. In an update on FridayOfficial figures showed core inflation in the city of Tokyo was 3% in November, down from 2.6% in October.
Back in Europe, Spain and Norway will release their November retail sales on Friday.
