BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks look set to open higher on Monday after U.S. markets notched their biggest quarterly gain in a decade on growing hopes for a U.S.-China trade deal.
Underlying sentiment may also remain buoyant after official data showed China's factory activity in March unexpectedly grew for the first time in fourth months.
The Caixin/Markit PMI also showed the manufacturing sector in the world's second biggest economy returning to growth.
Asian stocks surged amid signs of progress in U.S.-China trade talks, with Washington saying the negotiations that concluded on Friday in Beijing were 'candid and constructive'.
The dollar backed off three-week highs while oil prices extended gains after posting their biggest quarterly rise in a decade during the January-March period.
The British pound slipped after British lawmakers rejected Prime Minister May's Brexit deal for a third time on Friday, leaving the country's withdrawal from the European Union in turmoil.
On the data front, the focus will be on manufacturing data from across the euro zone due later in the day.
The Dow and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained around 0.8 percent on Friday while the S&P 500 added 0.7 percent.
European markets finished Friday's session higher as investors reacted to a slew of economic data from the region and news about the defeat of British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal.
The pan European Stoxx 600 added 0.6 percent. The German DAX gained 0.9 percent, France's CAC 40 index jumped 1 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 rose 0.6 percent.
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