- Madrid eagerly awaits Mbappe after PSG exit confirmed
- Russia claims gains in ground offensive in Ukraine's Kharkiv region
- 'England great' Anderson will make last Test appearance in West Indies clash
- Martin wins French MotoGP sprint to pad championship lead
- Nadal eyes French Open bid despite early Rome exit
- Gvardiol double sinks Fulham as Man City go top of Premier League
- Kewell wary after Yokohama edge Asian Champions League final opener
- Nadal falls to Hurkacz in Rome Open second round
- More than 300 dead in Afghanistan flash floods: WFP
- In Nigeria for Invictus, Prince Harry plays volleyball with veterans
- Anderson will make last England Test appearance in West Indies clash
- Departing Mbappe 'a PSG legend', says Luis Enrique
- Iraq hopes oil reserves will exceed 160 bn barrels: minister
- Swiatek battles into Rome last 16, Djokovic 'fine' after bottle strike drama
- Russia claims more advances after Ukraine ground offensive
- Israel strikes Gaza as more Rafah evacuations ordered
- Swedish police probe 'intimidation' at Eurovision
- Djokovic 'fine' after bottle strike drama at Rome Open
- Malaysia football kicks off under heightened security after attacks
- Djokovic 'fine' after being hit on head with water bottle at Rome Open
- More than 200 dead in Afghanistan flash floods: UN
- Hundreds evacuated from Ukraine border after Russian offensive
- Israel strikes Gaza as US report criticises war conduct
- French art group uses brainwaves and AI to recreate landscapes
- Nuggets, Pacers claw back in NBA conference semi-finals
- Lomachenko unruffled by brash Kambosos ahead of world title fight
- Eurovision in Gaza's shadow as Israel competes in final
- No.1 Scheffler prepares to face fatherhood as PGA looms
- Scheffler sizzles ahead of PGA as Koepka, McIlroy eye major win
- China consumer prices rise at faster rate in April
- Nembhard the hero as Pacers down Knicks to claw back in series
- US slams Israel's use of American weapons in Gaza
- Pyongyang to deploy new multiple rocket launcher this year: KCNA
- For some residents of Mexico's Cancun, beach seems world away
- Zendaya: a superstar, not a challenger
- First 'extreme' solar storm in 20 years brings spectacular auroras
- Sagstrom shares LPGA lead with Zhang but Korda lurks
- Train crash in Argentine capital sends nearly 60 to hospitals
- Gotterup grabs lead at PGA Myrtle Beach Classic
- 'Hell' is even more real in this year's MLS Ohio derby
- Schauffele grabs four-stroke lead at PGA's storm-hit Wells Fargo
- Spurs boss Postecoglou won't give up on Champions League ambition
- Guardiola expects Man City to be pitch perfect against Fulham
- European stock markets hit records as Dow rises for 8th straight day
- Girona's Liga runner-up hopes hit by draw at Alaves
- Brest draw opens door for Lille in Champions League race
- Bath edge closer to Premiership play-offs as Russell returns
- Powerful solar storm pummels Earth, threatening disruption
- Rovanpera leads Portugal Rally after see-saw day
- Endrick in Brazil's Copa America squad but no Neymar
US stocks rebound on tech earnings, London hits new record
US stocks rebounded Friday on the back of buoyant big tech earnings while London hit another record peak as investors tracked a series of takeover bids for UK companies.
Wall Street opened higher as traders shrugged off official data showing that a key measure of inflation favoured by the US Federal Reserve had accelerated in March.
The markets had fallen on Thursday over concerns about spending at Facebook owner Meta and slower-than-expected US economic growth in the first quarter.
But the mood changed after Microsoft and Google owner Alphabet released forecast-beating earnings after markets closed on Thursday, soothing worries that a tech-fuelled global markets rally may have been overdone.
Shares in Alphabet, which had announced a dividend and the authorisation of $70 billion in share buybacks, charged 10 percent higher when markets reopened on Friday.
Microsoft rose 2.7 percent after reporting a 20 percent jump in quarterly profits to $21.9 billion.
"What a difference a day makes, or even five minutes," said David Morrison, analyst at Trade Nation.
"This was better news for the tech sector in particular," he said.
Investors were also digesting the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, which rose more than expected at an annual rate of 2.7 percent in March after reaching 2.5 percent in February.
The figure pushes back the chances of interest rate cuts this summer. The Fed holds a policy meeting next week.
"The latest PCE report reiterates that it's too early for a victory lap" in the fight against inflation, said eToro analyst Bret Kenwell.
Shares in Europe were also up in afternoon deals on Friday.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index jumped to 8,136.52 points, notching up a record high for the fourth session running in a hectic week for merger and acquisition activity which also buoyed eurozone indices.
Australian mining giant BHP revealed this week that it had made a nearly $39 billion offer to acquire British rival Anglo American, which rejected the bid on Friday, slamming it as "highly unattractive" and "opportunistic".
Anglo American shares rose on Friday afternoon after falling earlier in the day following the company's rejection of the deal.
Cybersecurity firm Darktrace said Friday it had accepted a $5.3-billion takeover offer from US private equity firm Thoma Bravo, sending its share price shooting higher.
A battle also brewed to buy UK music rights owner Hipgnosis Songs Fund after US rival Concord increased its takeover offer, slightly beating a bid by Blackstone.
"What a fantastic week for the FTSE 100. We've had new record highs, yet more takeover action, and everyone is talking about UK stocks in a positive way," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
He added that first-quarter NatWest results also buoyed market sentiment, as the UK bank's pre-tax profit fell but beat expectations.
In Asia, major equity markets rose, while the yen hit a fresh 34-year low after the Bank of Japan stood pat on interest rates, a month after raising them for the first time in 17 years.
The unit hit 156.90 to the dollar on Friday, fuelling fresh speculation of an intervention after several officials lined up in recent weeks to warn they were ready to step in to support the yen.
- Key figures around 1345 GMT -
New York - Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 38,204.89 points
New York- S&P 500: UP 0.8 percent at 5,088.24
New York - Nasdaq: UP 1.5 percent at 15,840.08
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.7 percent at 8,131.91
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.9 percent at 8,089.63
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.2 percent at 18,127.38
EURO STOXX 50: UP 1.2 percent at 5,000.33
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.8 percent at 37,934.76 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 2.1 percent at 17,651.15 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.2 percent at 3,088.64 (close)
Dollar/yen: UP at 156.90 yen from 155.65 yen on Thursday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0710 from $1.0730
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2503 from $1.2514
Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.64 pence from 85.74 pence
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.6 percent at $89.52 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.6 percent at $84.09 per barrel
burs-lth/cw
J.Fankhauser--BTB