The composite index of the largest enterprises in the region Stoxx Europe 600 increased by 0.57%, to a record 448.98 points. The German DAX climbed 0.74% and surpassed the 15,500 mark for the first time.
The French CAC 40 gained 0.75% and hit its highest level in 21 years.
The British FTSE 100 indicator rose 0.04%. Italy's FTSE MIB and Spain's IBEX 35 added 0.45% and 0.42%, respectively.
Global markets are being supported by signs that the US economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is gaining momentum.
The data on the US labor market, released yesterday, showed a more significant than expected reduction in the number of applications for unemployment benefits in the country. The number of new applications last week decreased by 39 thousand, to 406 thousand, the lowest since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Analysts on average expected the number of applications to decrease to 425 thousand.
Meanwhile, the Commerce Department's estimate of US GDP growth in the first quarter was kept at 6.4% at an annualized rate.
On Friday, the US Department of Commerce will release April data on US household spending and income. As part of this report, the dynamics of the PCE Core (Personal Consumption Expenditures, Excluding Food & Energy) index, a key inflation indicator tracked by the Federal Reserve System (FRS), is traditionally published.
The consensus forecast of experts provides for the growth of the PCE Core index in April by 2.9%, the highest since 1993.
Market participants are also watching talks in Washington on an infrastructure spending plan to further support the economy.
On Thursday, Republican senators sent a new version of their own infrastructure investment plan to the US presidential administration, which includes spending totaling $ 928 billion over eight years. The Republicans' previous proposal called for an investment of $ 568 billion over five years.
Last week, they refused to support the $ 1.7 trillion White House infrastructure spending plan as too costly, despite the fact that US President Joe Biden agreed to cut spending on his proposed plan by more than $ 500 billion from the originally planned $ 2.25 trillion.
France's GDP in the first quarter of 2021 fell 0.1% from the previous three months, final data from the national statistical institute Insee shows. Preliminary data showed an increase of 0.4%, and experts did not expect a revision of this estimate.
In the fourth quarter of last year, according to revised data, French GDP fell by 1.5%, not 1.4% as previously reported.
Consumer prices in France, harmonized with European Union standards, rose 1.8% y / y in May, according to preliminary data from the National Statistical Office Insee. The increase relative to April amounted to 0.4%. Experts on average predicted the growth of the first indicator also by 1.8%, the second - by 0.3%.
Meanwhile, consumer spending in France fell 8.3% in April from the previous month. According to the revised data, in March consumer spending decreased by 0.3%, and not by 1.1%, as previously reported.
Shares in UK developer Vistry Group PLC jumped 4.3% in Friday trading, ranking among the top gainers among the Stoxx Europe 600 components.
Siemens AG, Europe's largest industrial conglomerate, rose 3.8%.
The leaders of the fall were the shares of the Spanish bank Banco de Sabadell SA, which lost 4.5%.
Antofagasta Plc, one of the world's largest copper producers, lost 2.2%.
The material has been provided by InstaForex Company - www.instaforex.com