LONDON – European shares were mostly higher on Friday as investors await a key jobs report that will help gauge the strength of the U.S. economy and provide hints on the pace of the Federal Reserve’s policy tightening in the second half of the year.
The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.16% after a strong trading session in Asia-Pacific overnight and following a positive session on Wall Street.
MSCI’s world equity index, which tracks shares in 50 countries, was up 0.17% and on track for its second consecutive weekly gain after seven weeks of losses.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.27% and Australia’s resource-heavy ASX 200 finished higher by 0.88%.
Markets in China, Hong Kong and the UK are closed for public holidays.
Investors are looking ahead to the U.S. Labor Department’s comprehensive employment report, due at 1230 GMT, for any hints of a slowdown in the jobs market, which might give the Fed an option to slow or even pause interest rate…
