Europe close: Stocks surge on better trade news, US jobs data

(Sharecast News) - European stocks surged ahead on Friday after China indicated it wanted to start trade talks with the US over tariffs. It was a similar story in Europe, with EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic telling the FT that the bloc had proposed increasing purchases of US goods.

The more constructive news on trade was further supported by a roughly in line readings on the US jobs market in April.

The Stoxx 600 index climbed 1.66% to 536.38, Germany's Dax powered ahead 2.49% to 23,057.34 and the French Cac-40 added 233% to 7,770.48.

For economists at Capital Economics, the latest US non-farm payrolls figures validated their view that the country's economy would not fall into a recession in 2025.

Nearer to home, eurozone inflation remained unchanged last month at 2.2% year-on-year, missing forecasts of a fall to 2.1%, according to flash estimates.

Core CPI on the other hand picked up from 2.4% to 2.7% (consensus: 2.5%).

In equity news, shares in energy giant Shell shares rose after a first-quarter profit beat and announcement of its latest $3.5bn share buyback.

Danske Bank surged as Denmark's biggest lender held its 2025 profit outlook after posting better-than-expected first-quarter profits.

Cofinimmo shares rose more than 10% to top the Stoxx after peer Aedifica launched a takeover offer with a 'significant premium' on the Belgian real estate investment trust. Shares in Aedifica were down 3%.