Investing.com - European stocks were higher on Friday, after Scotland voted to remain in the U.K. in an independence referendum.
During European morning trade, the DJ Euro Stoxx 50 climbed 0.80%, France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.51%, while Germany’s DAX gained 0.54%.
European equities strengthened as Scotland overwhelmingly rejected independence after a record turnout of voters delivered a clear victory for the No campaign on Thursday.
Fifty-five percent of Scottish voters supported the "no" campaign compared with 45% who backed independence.
The decision prevented a rupture of a 307-year union with England.
Stocks had gained some ground on Thursday after the Federal Reserve reiterated that it expects rates to remain on hold for a "considerable time", after its bond purchasing program ends, but it also outlined in more detail how it will start to raise short term interest rates when the time comes.
In addition, the Fed cut its monthly asset purchase program by another $10 billion, keeping the program on track to finish next month.
Financial stocks were broadly higher, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PARIS:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PARIS:SOGN) gained 0.77% and 1.19%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank (XETRA:DBKGn) jumped 1.24%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo (MILAN:ISP) and Unicredit (MILAN:CRDI) advanced 0.65% and 1.09% respectively, while Spanish banks BBVA (MADRID:BBVA) and Banco Santander (MADRID:SAN) rallied 1.15% and 1.48%.
Elsewhere, Telefonica (MADRID:TEF) surged 1.65% after the Spanish telecommunication company agreed to buy Vivendi (PARIS:VIV)'s Brazilian broadband unit GVT for about €7 billion.
On the downside, SAP (XETRA:SAPG) SE tumbled 1.49% as the biggest maker of business-management software agreed to buy Concur Technologies (NASDAQ:CNQR) for about $7.4 billion.
In London, FTSE 100 advanced 0.77%, boosted by the Scottish vote and as U.K. lenders tracked their European counterparts higher.
Shares in HSBC Holdings (LONDON:HSBA) inched up 0.06% and Barclays (LONDON:BARC) jumped 1.20%, while Lloyds Banking (LONDON:LLOY) and the Royal Bank of Scotland (LONDON:RBS) soared 2.47% and 4.13% respectively.
Meanwhile, mining stocks were broadly lower. Fresnillo (LONDON:FRES) dropped 0.51% and Randgold Resources (LONDON:RRS) lost 1.07%, while Bhp Billiton (LONDON:BLT) and Rio Tinto (LONDON:RIO) plummeted 1.05% and 1.44%.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow 30 futures pointed to a 0.36% increase, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.26% gain, while the NASDAQ 100 futures indicated a 0.30% rise.