In European Equity Markets stocks closed higher on Friday, as investors monitored euro zone inflation data and U.S. nonfarm payrolls. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed up 0.8 percent, extending gains from the previous session with almost all sectors and major country indices in positive territory. Gains in financials pushed Britain’s FTSE 100 to another record high on Friday, while Switzerland’s blue-chip SMI notched an all-time high. Europe’s autos sector led the gains Friday, up 2 percent. Fiat Chrysler was the top performer in the sector, trading over 6 percent higher after J.P. Morgan raised its stock recommendation for the Milan-listed firm to “overweight” from “neutral”. Centrica and United Utilities led the leaderboard in London after Credit Suisse upgraded both stocks, revising up its view on the sector.

In Currency Markets the US dollar rose on Friday, after a brief dip, as investors reckoned a weaker-than-expected U.S. December non-farm payrolls report would not delay the Federal Reserve from raising interest rates multiple times this year though at a gradual pace. U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 148,000 jobs last month. Economists were forecasting job gains of 190,000. October and November data were revised to show 9,000 fewer jobs created than previously reported. In NY mid-morning trading, the dollar gained 0.4 percent against the yen to 113.22, while the euro fell 0.3 percent versus the dollar to $1.2029. The Canadian dollar strengthened almost 1 percent to a three-month high against its U.S. counterpart on Friday after stronger-than-expected domestic jobs data boosted expectations for a Bank of Canada interest rate hike as soon as this month.

In Commodities Markets oil retreated from its highest closing price in three years as expanding inventories of gasoline and diesel in the world’s biggest economy tempered enthusiasm about shrinking crude supplies. West Texas Intermediate crude for February delivery lost 1.2 percent at the New York Mercantile Exchange, trimming this week’s advance to 1.9 percent. Gasoline stored in U.S. terminals and tanks increased for an eighth straight week, a phenomenon not seen since the winter of 2015-2016. Ample stockpiles of gasoline and other fuels may signal an imminent fall-off in refiners’ demand for crude that helped support the recent price rally. Brent for March settlement lost 55 cents or 0.8 percent  to $67.72 on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

In US Equity Markets main indexes rose on Friday as investors looked beyond weaker-than-expected U.S. job additions in December and took support from signs of a pick-up in wage growth. The S&P 500 gained 0.3 percent to 2,732.2. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.4 percent to 7,105.62. Among the 11 major S&P sectors, energy was the biggest decliner, down 0.3 percent as oil prices pulled away from their 2015 highs. Chevron and Exxon fell 0.4 percent, weighing on the sector. The S&P technology index rose 0.5 percent, leading the gainers. Microsoft’s 1.1 percent rise and Apple’s 0.6 percent gain boosted the sector. Cisco rose 1.3 percent after BofA Merrill Lynch brokers upgraded the stock to “buy”. Among major movers, Francesca’s Holdings fell 16.5 percent after said it expected up to 17 percent decline in current-quarter same-store sales.

In Bond Markets Greece’s 10-year borrowing costs fell to their lowest in 12 years on Friday, benefiting from expectations it will exit its bailout this year, underpinned by risk appetite and a tentative economic recovery. Greece and its creditors in the euro zone reached a preliminary agreement last month that paves the way for the country to exit the latest rescue package, its third since 2010, in August. Short-dated Greek debt yields were also at multi-year lows: the country’s two-year borrowing costs fell to 1.47 percent and is now lower than the equivalent U.S. Treasury yield. The yield on 10-year Greek government bonds dropped to its lowest level since February 2006 at 3.77 percent on Friday. Meanwhile Germany’s 10-year government bond, the benchmark for the euro zone, hit a one-week low of 0.42 percent.