In European Equity Markets the pan-European Stoxx 600 index rallied 2.8 percent, with all sectors and major bourses in positive territory. The German Dax ended up by 3.3 percent. Britain’s FTSE 100 ended Friday higher by 2.2 percent. Auto stocks were also among the top gainers. Bayer rose 6.4 percent after a U.S. judge moved to limit evidence in a trial over allegations that Monsanto’s glyphosate-based weed killer Roundup causes cancer. The German pharmaceuticals firm bought U.S. agriculture giant Monsanto last year for $63 billion.

In Currency Markets sterling jumped on Friday after suffering heavy losses spurred by fears of a global economic slowdown, but uncertainty about Brexit kept its gains in check. The pound fell to its lowest since April 2017 on Thursday after worries about the health of the global economy and particularly China sparked an investor exodus from currencies considered riskier. The currency staged a recovery on Friday, trading up 0.6 percent against the dollar to $1.2722, but still close to the bottom of its long-term range. Versus the euro, it also rose 0.6 percent to 89.66 pence.

In Commodities Markets oil rose to above $57 a barrel on Friday after China said it would hold trade talks with the United States and a survey showed China’s services sector expanded in December, while signs of lower crude supply also lent support. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries cut crude output in December, a Reuters survey showed, and the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a 4.5 million-barrel drop in crude inventories. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was up $1.40 at $57.35 a barrel. U.S. crude oil was up 81 cents at $47.90.

In US Equity Markets indices jumped over 2.5 percent on Friday, boosted by a robust U.S. jobs report, plans for fresh Sino-U.S. trade talks and as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell pledged patience and sensitivity to risks in the markets. The S&P 500 was up 2.71 percent, at 2,514.26 and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 3.55 percent, at 6,693.08. Despite the rally, U.S. stocks are anchored near mid-2017 lows, with a chunk of the losses coming last month in what was the S&P’s worst December since the Great Depression.

In Bond Markets Treasury yields rose on Friday after the U.S. employment report for December came in more robust than expected, and on the back of U.S. equities, which hit session highs as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell struck a dovish tone in a round table interview. The benchmark 10-year government yield was last at 2.65 percent, up 10 basis points from Thursday’s close. The five-year note yield was up 11 basis points at 2.47 percent, just below the two-year yield. The spread between two- and five-year notes first inverted on Dec. 3.