European Markets Mixed, Flat On Friday

(RTTNews) - The major European markets wound up mixed and little changed on Friday, shrugging off early profit taking after the markets hit six-month trading highs a day earlier.

The markets got a lift from eagerly awaited employment data from the United States, which came in better than expected and allayed fears of a global economic slowdown.

However, the data also tempered optimism for the outlook of interest rates; many pundits were expecting the FOMC to slow its pace of interest rate hikes, but this jobs report may allow them to continue raising rates at their current trajectory.

For the day, Germany's DAX rose 39.09 points or 0.27 percent to finish at 14,529.39, while London's FTSE eased 2.26 points or 0.03 percent to close at 7,556.23 and the CAC 40 in France fell 11.72 points or 0.17 percent to end at 6,742.25.

In Germany, Fresnius Medical Care jumped 2.47 percent, while Deutsche Post rallied 1.85 percent, Siemens Energy climbed 1.56 percent, Deutsche Bank collected 1.20 percent, Infineon Technologies sank 0.70 percent, Daimler Truck Holding dropped 0.62 percent, Heidelberg Cement added 0.31 percent, Deutsche Borse perked 0.17 percent and Deutsche Telekom eased 0.11 percent.

In London, Associated British Foods surged 5.04 percent, while Rolls-Royce Holdings soared 3.92 percent, St. James Place spiked 1.50 percent, Prudential rallied 1.43 percent, Airtel Africa tumbled 1.38 percent, Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust skidded 1.08 percent, Frasers Group slumped 0.84 percent, Shell sank 0.69 percent, Centrica lost 0.57 percent, Haleon fell 0.51 percent and Vodafone was down 0.42 percent.

In France, Sanofi tumbled 1.92 percent, while Compagnie de Saint-Gobain jumped 1.56 percent, Orange declined 1.10 percent, Carrefour gained 0.60 percent, Vivendi improved 0.54 percent, Credit Agricole rose 0.28 percent, BNP Paribas collected 0.23 percent, Engie fell 0.22 percent and Societe Generale was up 0.09 percent.

The euro extended gains against the dollar for a third straight session, hitting a six-month high and on track for a second weekly gain in a row.

In economic news, France's industrial production declined for the second straight month in October, data published by the statistical office Insee showed on Friday. Industrial production dropped 2.6 percent month-on-month in October, following a revised 0.9 percent fall in September.

Germany's import price inflation eased less-than-expected in October to the lowest level in a year amid a slowdown in price growth of imported energy, data published by Destatis revealed on Friday. Import prices jumped 23.5 percent in October, slower than the 29.8 percent surge in September and above estimates for 23.3 percent.

Eurozone producer price inflation slowed for the second consecutive month in October reflecting a notable reduction in energy price growth, Eurostat reported Friday.

Producer prices jumped an annual 30.8 percent in October after a 41.9 percent rise in September. Although inflation eased for a second month and remained below forecasts of 31.5 percent, overall factory gate prices remained elevated. Excluding energy, producer price inflation came in at 14.0 percent, slower than 14.5 percent in September.