Commercial office buildings in the City of London, UK, on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024.
Betty Laura Zapata | Bloomberg | Getty Images
LONDON — European markets were higher on Friday as they looked to shake off recent choppiness and follow Wall Street and Asia-Pacific stocks higher.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.09% higher at 2:48 p.m. London time, pulling back from earlier gains. Regional bourses and sectors were mixed. Healthcare stocks rose 0.9%, while autos dipped by 0.42%.
Global markets have been volatile, as they have tried to shake off Monday’s rout. The Stoxx 600 closed just above the flatline on Thursday after trading in negative territory throughout the session.
U.S. stocks came off one of their best sessions since 2022 to open lower on Friday, indicating nerves may remain on edge despite fresh labor market data easing concerns about the state of the world’s largest economy.
Asia-Pacific markets were mostly higher on Friday.