Major European markets opened higher on Friday as investors received the last batch of economic data for the week which included the unemployment rate in Switzerland, a decline in house prices in the United Kingdom, and an increase in new factory orders in Germany. Moreover, traders are seemingly reacting with more enthusiasm after ECB hinted that September's increase would be the last interest rate hike.
The DAX gained 0.25% at 9:02 am CET, with Heidelberg Materials up by 1.87%. At 9:01 am CET, the CAC 40 added 0.24%, with EssilorLuxottica SA rose 0.10%. The FTSE 100 rose 0.33%, as Aviva plc climbed 4.56%. The pan-European Euro Stoxx 50 edged up 0.34% at 9:00 am CET, with Ayden led gains trading 3.96% higher.
The euro was down by 0.15% against the dollar at 8:58 am CET, selling for $1.05342. Also, the pound lost 0.19% to go for $1.21692 at the same time.
