European Stock Markets Rise Sharply, Asian Markets Reverse Early Losses

UPDATE: 7 a.m. EST — European stock markets were trading sharply higher in mid-day trade, with shares in France leading the region. The CAC 40 was up 2.92 percent while Germany's DAX was up 2.81 percent, and London's FTSE 100 was higher by 1.31 percent. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was also trading 2.18 percent higher.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Nasdaq stock futures rose 1.12 percent Friday morning, while the S&P 500 stock futures were 0.92 percent higher and the Dow Jones stock futures were up by 0.83 percent.

Original story:

Europe’s bourses were up sharply while Asian markets swung higher after early losses Friday, as investors overcame initial turbulence brought on by the European Central Bank's (ECB) announcement of additional stimulus measures.

In Europe, Germany’s DAX led the way, up 2.23 percent in morning trade on the last trading day of the week. France’s CAC 40 was up 1.9 percent while the FTSE 100 in London was up 1.74 percent. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was higher 1.80 percent.

“The ECB attempted to exceed market expectations with a strong set of non-conventional monetary policy measures but then disappointed the market on forward guidance around further interest rate reductions — effectively suggesting that interest rates had reached their nadir,” Marilyn Watson at fund manager BlackRock told the Guardian.

The euro plunged Thursday after ECB president Mario Draghi unveiled a slew of growth-boosting measures including rate cuts and an extended asset-buying program. “Draghi shoots down his own bazooka,” Investec’s analysts said, according to the Guardian.

Asian shares finished Friday broadly higher as investors digested Draghi’s comments over fresh easing. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 1.07 percent while Japan's Nikkei 225 was 0.51 percent higher, and China's Shanghai Composite closed up 0.20 percent. China’s Nasdaq-style ChiNext Index was up 0.11 percent.

Elsewhere in Asia, Mumbai’s S&P BSE Sensex was up 0.14 percent while South Korea’s Kospi was up 0.11 percent.

In the U.S., stock market futures were up by 0.9 percent on the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indexes during early hours Friday, while stock futures on the Nasdaq were up 1.21 percent.