Sawt Falasteen - Stock markets gain as China mulls US tariff talks

US markets had forged higher Thursday following strong results from tech giants Microsoft and Meta that helped offset lingering economic worries.

"Equity markets are largely rising this morning boosted by the positive overnight performance on Wall Street amid China’s openness to trade negotiations," said Deutsche Bank managing director Jim Reid.

"This is outweighing concerns about the effect of tariffs, which were initially triggered by disappointing earnings from Apple and Amazon," he added.

US giants Apple and Amazon both reported disappointing outlooks, as tariffs knock business confidence, after markets closed on Thursday.

In Europe, Paris and Frankfurt rose over one percent after the public holiday, as markets brushed off official data showing eurozone inflation remained unchanged at slightly above the European Central Bank's two-percent target.

London also gained, with mining and commodity stocks -- sensitive to Chinese demand -- performing particularly well amid optimism for potential China-US talks, according to analysts.

China's commerce ministry on Friday said it was evaluating a US offer for negotiations on tariffs, but insisted Washington must be ready to scrap levies that have roiled global markets and supply chains.

President Donald Trump's levies reached 145 percent on many Chinese products in April, while Beijing has responded with fresh 125 percent duties on imports from the United States.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that China has reached out for talks on the tariffs, and this week said he believed there was a "very good chance we're going to make a deal".

Dozens of countries face a 90-day deadline expiring in July to strike an agreement with Washington and avoid higher, country-specific rates.

For further signs of the impact of the trade war on the economy, traders are awaiting Friday's US jobs data for April.

The closely-watched indictor will also be pored over for indications of the US central bank's path for interest rates.

In Asia on Friday, Hong Kong was up more than 1.7 percent at the close, while Tokyo rose one percent.

Mainland Chinese markets were closed for a holiday.

Japan's envoy for US tariff talks said in Washington on Thursday that a second round of negotiations between the two countries had been "frank and constructive".

The Bank of Japan warned earlier that tariffs were fuelling global economic uncertainty and revised down its growth forecasts while keeping its key interest rate steady.

In company news, oil majors ExxonMobil and Shell reported lower profit on weaker crude prices.

But Shell managed to be one of the biggest risers in London on Friday as it pushed ahead with shareholder returns.

- Key figures at around 1100 GMT -

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.7 percent at 8,559.50 points

Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.6 percent at 7,713.90

Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.7 percent at 22,872.80

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.0 percent at 36,830.69 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.7 percent at 22,504.68 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: closed for holiday

New York - Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 40,752.96 (close)

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1333 from $1.1289 on Thursday

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3292 from $1.3277

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 144.67 yen from 145.44 yen

Euro/pound: UP at 85.26 pence from 85.02 pence

West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.6 percent at $58.90 per barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.5 percent at $61.83 per barrel

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C.Hamad--SF-PST