European stocks moved higher on Friday as market participants brace themselves for U.S. jobs data later in the session.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was up 0.5% in early trade, with insurance stocks adding 1.2% to lead gains as most sectors and major bourses nudged into positive territory.
Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect that September will show a net 170,000 new jobs — significantly more than that could provide a good-news-is-bad-news jolt to an already reeling market.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 0.3% higher on Thursday, following three consecutive negative trading sessions at the start the fourth quarter.
The rate on the 10-year Treasury note slipped from highs last seen in 2007 earlier in the week and held steady at around 4.7276% on Friday.
Persons:
nonfarm, Dow Jones
Organizations:
U.S, Wall, Federal Reserve
Locations:
Asia, Pacific