European stocks advance at open

LONDON: Europe’s stock markets rose Friday following an overnight Wall Street rally and after a largely upbeat performance in Asia.

London’s FTSE 100 index gaining 0.8 percent to 7,519.44 points despite news of tumbling UK retail sales.

In the eurozone, the Paris CAC 40 added 0.5 percent to 7,441.33 points and Frankfurt’s DAX gained 0.4 percent to 16,632.63.

European shares advance as chipmakers rally

Asian markets mostly rose Friday following a tech-led rally on Wall Street that helped soothe traders’ concerns that the Federal Reserve will likely not cut interest rates, though China’s economic woes dragged on Hong Kong and Shanghai.