European markets remain positive

With investors feeling charged up for more data releases and optimistic about the movement of the markets, the European stock markets opened on a higher note during the early hours of trade on Friday.
 
The FTSE 100 index was trading at the 7,441 level, up by 10.11 points; the CAC 40 index was trading at the 5,116 levels, higher by 31.80 points; while the German DAX was at the 12,089 level, up by 34.11 points. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was higher by 0.37%
 
The Asian markets were geared up on the back of the Caixin China manufacturing data released for August, which surpassed market expectations and came in at a six-month high. Meanwhile, Europe is all set to have its slew of economic data released on Friday. 
 
The Manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) data from Italy, Spain, France, Germany and the euro zone is set to be released, while the final gross domestic product (GDP) figures from Italy are also likely to be published on Friday.
 
On the last day of the third round of Article 50 talks i.e. on Thursday, chief EU negotiator, Michel Barnier, stated that the exit negotiations had failed to generate the kind of progress required to head into a new phase set in October.