Investing.com - European stocks were higher on Friday, as positive economic growth data from Germany and France lent support, while markets eyed an upcoming gross domestic product report for the entire euro zone.
During European morning trade, the DJ Euro Stoxx 50 added 0.17%, France’s CAC 40 rose 0.37%, while Germany’s DAX edged up 0.12%.
Earlier Friday, a preliminary report showed that Germany's gross domestic product rose 0.1% in the last quarter, in line with expectations, after a revised 0.1% contraction in the three months to June.
France's economy grew 0.3% in the thrid quarter, according to another preliminary report, exceeding expectations for growth of 0.1%, after a contraction of 0.1% in the previous quarter.
The reports came a day after data showed that inflation in Germany remained weak in October, indicating that the euro zone economy is still at risk from persistently low levels of inflation.
Financial stocks were broadly higher, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PARIS:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PARIS:SOGN) added 0.21% and 0.61%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank (XETRA:DBKGn) edged up 0.19%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo (MILAN:ISP) and Unicredit (MILAN:CRDI) gained 0.51% and 0.83% respectively, while Spanish banks BBVA (MADRID:BBVA) and Banco Santander (MADRID:SAN) rose 0.13% and 0.61%.
Elsewhere, Airbus Group (PARIS:AIR) saw shares surge 3.25% after the airliner posted third-quarter that beat analysts' estimates.
Bouygues (PARIS:BOUY) added to gains, up 4.95% after the French mobile phone provider raised its outlook for 2014.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 slipped 0.12%, weighed by sharp losses in energy and mining stocks.
Tullow Oil (LONDON:TLW) led losses on the index, with shares plummeting 2.64%, while rival oil and gas company BP (LONDON:BP) dropped 0.90%.
Meanwhile, mining giants Glencore Xstrata (LONDON:GLEN) and Anglo American (LONDON:AAL) tumbled 1.17% and 1.87% respectively, while shares in Randgold Resources (LONDON:RRS) and Fresnillo (LONDON:FRES) retreated 2.44% and 2.48%.
In the financial sector, stocks were mixed as Lloyds Banking (LONDON:LLOY) dipped 0.04% and HSBC Holdings (LONDON:HSBA) declined 0.51%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland (LONDON:RBS) added 0.19% and Barclays (LONDON:BARC) climbed 0.71%.
Aggreko (LONDON:AGGK) was one of the top performers in early European trade, with shares rallying 4.15% after the temporary power services provider said that its underlying group revenue for the third quarter rose at an annual rate of 6%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow 30 futures pointed to a 0.12% rise, S&P 500 futures signaled an 0.10% gain, while the NASDAQ 100 futures indicated a 0.15% increase.