In European Equity Markets the pan-European Stoxx 600 ended down 0.5 percent, with almost all sectors and major bourses in negative territory. Europe’s technology stocks were among the worst performers, down almost 1 percent following a weak forecast from U.S. company Applied Materials. Kazakhstan-focused miner Kaz Minerals fell to the bottom of the European benchmark on Friday, falling more than 13 percent after Barclays cut its price target for the firm. Air France fell nearly 5 percent after the airline confirmed Ben Smith as the new chief executive officer.

In Currency Markets the US dollar fell against a basket of peers on Friday, amid lower demand for the safe-haven greenback, as traders hoped next week’s trade talks between the United States and China would ease tensions between the two countries. The euro rebounded from a more than 13-month low touched earlier this week and was 0.22 percent higher at $1.14. The Japanese yen and the Swiss Franc, which tend to rise in times of geopolitical and financial tensions, were higher on the day.

In Commodities Markets oil prices rose on Friday but were heading for yet another weekly decline as concerns intensified that trade disputes and slowing global economic growth could hit demand for petroleum products. Brent crude oil futures were up 92 cents at $72.25 a barrel, after rising over $1 to hit a high of $72.44 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 59 cents to $66.05. Brent was still heading for a 1-percent decline this week, a third consecutive weekly decline. WTI, meanwhile, is on track for a seventh week of losses with a fall of more than 2 percent.

In US Equity Markets the Nasdaq Composite opened lower on Friday as weak forecasts from Applied Materials and Nvidia weighed on chip stocks, while gains in energy stocks due to rising crude prices helped the S&P and the Dow Industrials cut their losses. Applied Materials fell 9 percent, the most on the S&P, after the world’s largest supplier of chip equipment forecast current-quarter results below estimates, adding to fears that a two-year chip boom may be losing steam. The S&P 500 was fat at 2,838.65 and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.37 percent, at 7,777.62.

In Bond Markets German bond yields returned to one-month lows on Friday as the threat of more U.S. sanctions on Turkey hit the lira once again, boosting demand for safe haven assets such as high-grade euro zone government debt. Germany’s 10-year government bond fell as low as 0.287 percent on Friday, its lowest in nearly a month and half what it was just three months ago. Meanwhile, Italian 10-year yields were higher 3 basis points on the day and the spread over Germany widening to 284 bps.