BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks may open higher on Friday as recession worries ebbed and investors have increased bets that the European Central Bank will announce a package of stimulus measures at its next policy meeting in September.
Asian markets found some footing as encouraging retail sales figures from the U.S. helped ease some concerns about a recession in the world's biggest economy.
There is pressure on Chinese officials to boost stimulus after credit growth tumbled to the second-lowest amount this year in July. As global growth falters, there is now talk of aggressive stimulus from all the major central banks.
The Federal Reserve could cut rates by as many as 50 basis points at its next meeting in September.
European Central Banker Olli Rehn on Thursday flagged the need for a significant easing package in September to support the flagging euro zone economy.
Mexico's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate Thursday for the first time in over five years, citing slowing economic growth.
Inversion of Canada's yield curve by the most in nearly two decades is threatening to coerce the Bank of Canada to act.
Meanwhile, there are conflicting messages on the Sino-U.S. trade war. U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. is having very good discussions with China and the trade dispute would be fairly short.
On the other hand, Beijing vowed to counter the latest tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese goods but called on the United States to meet it halfway on a potential trade deal.
The U.S dollar maintained its bullishness after the release of an upbeat retail sales report while oil prices rose in Asian trading after two days of declines.
In economic releases, foreign trade data from euro area is due later in the session, headlining a light day for the European economic news.
Across the Atlantic, reports on housing starts and consumer sentiment may sway investor sentiment.
Overnight, U.S. stocks ended mixed as investors watched dropping U.S. Treasury yields and upbeat retail sales data.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4 percent and the S&P 500 gained 0.3 percent while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slid 0.1 percent.
European markets ended lower on Thursday as German and French bond yields hit record lows, spurring fresh concerns of an impending recession.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 declined 0.3 percent. The German DAX shed 0.7 percent, France's CAC 40 index eased 0.3 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE lost 1.1 percent.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX