Investing.com - Germany's benchmark index opened higher on Friday, as did other European markets as investors looked to fresh corporate earnings reports and ignored ongoing political turmoil in Spain.
The EURO STOXX 50 advanced 0.38%, France’s CAC 40 rose 0.31%, while Germany’s DAX 30 gained 0.46% and Spain's IBEX 35 was up 0.08% by 03:35 a.m. ET (07:35 GMT).
The Spanish government was set to suspend Catalonia’s autonomy and impose direct rule after the region’s president refused to abandon the push for independence on Thursday.
The announcement came after Carles Puigdemont threatened a unilateral declaration of independence if the Spanish government did not agree to talks on the issue.
Financial stocks were broadly higher, as French lenders Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) and BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) rallied 1.15% and 1.29%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) jumped 1.26%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Unicredit (MI:CRDI) and Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) advanced 0.78% and 0.35% respectively, while Spanish banks Banco Santander (MC:SAN) and BBVA (MC:BBVA) rose 0.11% and 0.29%.
In earnings news, German automaker Daimler AG NA O.N. (DE:DAIGn) advanced 1.11% after reporting a 14% decline in earnings before interest and tax.
On the downside, French hotel group Accor (PA:ACCP) plummeted 2.22% after reporting third-quarter revenues of 504 million euros, up 7.2% from last year.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 gained 0.34%, boosted by sharp gains in the mining sector.
Shares in Glencore (LON:GLEN) jumped 1.18% and Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) climbed 1.50%, while Anglo American (LON:AAL) and Antofagasta (LON:ANTO) surged 1.65% and 2.68% respectively.
Financial stocks were also broadly higher, as Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) rose 0.33% and HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) advanced 0.89% while the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) climbed 0.90% and Barclays (LON:BARC) gained 0.96%.
Meanwhile, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (LON:IHG) slid 0.37% after saying it remained confident in its outlook for the rest of 2017 despite "macro-economic and geopolitical uncertainties."
The comments came after the group posted a 2.3% rise in revenue per available room during the third quarter and around the world.
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC (LON:RB) was one of the worst performers on the index, as shares retreated 0.72% after the company announced that it would be splitting its business into two units, one of which will be dubbed RB Health.
In other news, at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May called upon fellow European Union leaders to push ahead with Brexit negotiations, stressing both sides' shared interest in security and free trade.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.38% gain, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.24% rise, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.32% advance.