Germany's DAX added 0.3% to 16,187.06. In Paris, the CAC 40 edged up 0.1% to 7,406.82 and Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.3% to 7,553.25.
Inflation in Europe slid again in June, with the annual rate at 5.5%, down from 6.1% in May in the 20 countries that use the euro currency, the European Union statistics agency Eurostat reported. In Asian trading, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.7% to 33,753.33 in afternoon trading. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.6% to 7,246.10. South Korea's Kospi jumped 1.5% to 2,602.47. Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged 2.1% to 19,306.59, while the Shanghai Composite gained 1.3% to 3,243.98.
Yields in the bond market turned lower Friday after the release of the economic data. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 3.82% from nearly 3.87% just before the report's release. It helps set rates for mortgages and other important loans.