BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks followed European peers higher on Friday, with positive data from China's services sector and news of a new round of talks between China and the United States boosting investor sentiment.
China's commerce ministry said that China and the United States would hold vice ministerial level trade talks in Beijing on Jan 7-8.
Chinese slowing growth is having an impact on Apple and other American companies, but sales should recover once Washington strikes a trade deal with Beijing, a senior White House adviser said.
Meanwhile, U.K. house price inflation slowed sharply in December to its weakest level since early 2013, as buyer confidence eroded amid the persistent uncertainties linked to Brexit, results of a key survey showed.
The house price index rose 0.5 percent year-on-year following a 1.9 percent increase in November, the Nationwide Building Society reported.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 73 points or 1.1 percent at 6,766 in opening deals after declining 0.6 percent the previous day.
Johnson Service Group rallied 2.5 percent after reporting FY results in line with market expectations.
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