European stocks opened higher on Friday, as investors assessed a signal that China is seeking trade negotiations will the U.S.
The Stoxx 600 index jumped 0.88% in early deals, led by mining stocks, up 2.5%, while banks climbed 1.7%.
Most markets were closed on Thursday for the May 1 holiday. London’s FTSE 100 ended a choppy session 0.02% higher to mark its 14th straight session in the green, drawing level with its best run since 2017.
Shell shares rose 2.4% after the oil major beat profit expectations for the first quarter and announced its latest $3.5 billion share buyback.
April data on the preliminary euro zone inflation rate is due to be released at 10 a.m. London time.
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— CNBC’s Anniek Bao contributed to this report
