BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks were modestly higher in cautious trade on Friday as investors monitored oil price movements and awaited the U.S. jobs report later in the day for additional clues on the Fed's rate trajectory.
Brent crude futures surged toward $83 a barrel, building on the previous session's gains amid doubts over ongoing efforts to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global energy supplies.
In economic releases, German industrial production logged a monthly growth of 0.2 percent in June, following May's revised 0.7 percent increase, Destatis reported. Output was expected to remain flat in June.
U.K. house prices posted a flat growth in July, following a 0.2 percent rise in June amid a more uncertain economic backdrop, according to data published by Lloyds Banking Group.
The pan-European STOXX 600 edged up by 0.3 percent to 659.96, extending gains for a fifth consecutive session.
The German DAX surged 0.6 percent, France's CAC 40 added 0.2 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was up 0.1 percent.
German reinsurer Munich Re fell 2.8 percent despite posting better-than-expected second-quarter earnings. Likewise, Allianz dropped 1 percent after announcing its financial results.
Daimler Truck Holding slumped 4.2 percent on reporting an 18 percent drop in its second-quarter profit.
Specialty chemicals company Lanxess plunged nearly 5 percent after reporting a wider-than-expected Q2 net loss.
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