European stocks gained ground on Friday on optimism over a swift economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Vaccine hopes, rising oil prices and growing prospects of a large U.S. economic stimulus package helped underpin sentiment, while the upside remained capped by rising coronavirus cases in the U.S. and escalating U.S.-China tensions.
In economic releases, German factory orders grew at a faster pace in October, data from Destatis revealed, in a good sign for the region's recovery.
Factory orders grew 2.9 percent sequentially in October, faster than September's 1.1 percent rise. Orders were forecast to climb 1.5 percent.
Year-on-year, factory orders advanced 1.8 percent, in contrast to a 1.1 percent decrease in September.
The pan European Stoxx 600 rose 0.2 percent to 392.52 after closing flat with a positive bias on Thursday.
The German DAX was little changed and France's CAC 40 index gained 0.4 percent, while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 climbed 0.7 percent to a nine-month high.
Brexit talks continued to drag on, with British officials accusing French President Emmanuel Macron of making fresh demands at the eleventh hour.
Energy stocks gained ground as OPEC and other oil producing countries such as Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed to increase output beginning next month at a much slower pace to overcome coronavirus-induced demand concerns.
Total SE gained 1.9 percent, BP Plc rallied 2.5 percent and Royal Dutch Shell advanced 2.2 percent.
SSE Plc shares jumped 3.5 percent. The energy company said it agreed to sell a 10 percent stake in the first two phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm to Eni for an equity consideration of £202.5 million.
Property developer Berkeley Group Holdings gave up 2.8 percent after posting a fall in profit for the first half of financial 2021.
Associated British Foods rose over 2 percent. The food processing company said that it continues to expect Primark sales and profit to be higher this financial year compared to last.
Dassault Aviation soared 6 percent after reports that Indonesia may buy 48 Rafale jet fighters.
Latour plummeted over 10 percent after its majority owner announced the sale of 10 million shares in the Swedish investment company.
BioNtech shares fell 2.3 percent as Pfizer slashed the 2020 production target of its Covid-19 vaccine, citing challenges in supply chain.
Meanwhile, Moderna said it expects to supply up to 125 million doses of its experimental vaccine around the world in the first quarter of 2021.
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