The pound struggled to recover from sharp losses against the dollar after the Bank of England's surprise decision Thursday not to raise interest ratesBRUSSELS - Europe's main stock markets rose Friday, with Paris hitting a record peak as investors awaited key US jobs data and mulled the interest rate outlook.
London stocks rose 0.5 percent, aided also by the weak pound one day after the Bank of England unexpectedly held UK interest rates.Oil climbed after OPEC and other major producers stuck to their plan to modestly lift output despite surging demand, while the dollar advanced.Global equities were boosted this week as the Federal Reserve finally announced its plan for tapering the vast bond-buying programme, which has provided crucial support since it was put in place at the start of the pandemic.