Europe: Up
European shares were set for their fifth straight week of gains on Friday, led by defensive and retail stocks, but gains were limited as investors remained cautious about a wider economic slowdown and progress in U.S.-China trade talks.
STOXX 600 on track for fifth weekly gain.
A 1.08% increase in the retail sector helped lift the pan-European STOXX 600 index by 0.2%. Investors also bought into the so-called defensive sectors such as healthcare, utilities, real-estate and food and beverage.
Debt-laden French retailer Casino gained 2% after the company said it was in talks to sell its discount store chain Leader Price to German rival Aldi. Roche was among the biggest boosts to healthcare stocks.