PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The French market was higher on Friday afternoon, amid a deluge of corporate news from the region. On the Greek front, officials from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund will meet in Athens today to start detailed discussions with the Greek government on a new bailout deal.
In economic news, Eurozone economic growth slowed slightly in July but the pace of expansion remained one of the strongest seen over the last four years, flash survey data from Markit Economics showed.
The composite Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 53.7 in July from June's four-year high of 54.2. But it remained slightly above the average seen over the first half of the year. The expected score was 54.
Germany's private sector also expanded at a slower pace in July. The flash composite output index fell to 53.4 in July from 53.7 in June.
Meanwhile, the French private sector growth slowed to a three-month low in July. The composite output index fell to 51.5 in July from June's 46-month high of 53.3.
The CAC 40 index advanced 0.5 percent.
Alcatel Lucent rose 2.2 percent and Airbus added 1.3 percent.
Air France-KLM added nearly 3 percent. The airline announced additional cost-cuts, while also trimming its capacity expansion plan for winter.
Danone, which reported lower profit for the first half, was fractionally lower.
Other markets in the region were also in the green.
The Asian stocks fell across the board, as cautious earnings outlooks from U.S. companies and the worst commodities slump in 13 years rattled investors. Downbeat manufacturing data out of China compounded worries about global economic growth.
In the U.S., futures point to a higher open on Wall Street. In the previous session, the Dow dropped 0.7 percent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq slid half a percent and the S&P 500 fell 0.6 percent.
Crude for September delivery added $0.15 to $48.60 per barrel, while August gold dropped $12.1 to $1082.0 a troy ounce.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX