12:07 PM EDT, 08/23/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed higher in Friday trading as The Stoxx Europe 600 increased 0.51%, the Swiss Market Index was up 0.34%, France's CAC gained 0.70%, the FTSE in London rose 0.48%, and Germany's DAX closed 0.77% higher.

The European Central Bank reported Friday in its July consumer expectations survey that median consumer inflation perceptions over the previous 12 months "declined noticeably," while median inflation expectations for the next 12 months remained unchanged.

In France, the index that gauges the country's business climate rebounded in August, rising to 97 from 94 in July, according to the Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. However, the index remains below its long-term average of 100.

In Germany, there were approximately 310,900 new business start-ups in H1, which was 2.1% lower than the same period last year, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

And in corporate news, AstraZeneca refuted a Financial Times report Thursday that the pharmaceutical company allegedly told UK authorities it will relocate its Speke vaccine manufacturing site to Philadelphia due to stalled negotiations with the government over reduced state aid promised to the project, a spokesperson told MT Newswires in an emailed statement Friday.

"We are committed to pursuing the opportunity at Speke and are in constructive discussions with the UK government," a spokesperson said, adding that the claims made in the media "do not seem to be based on facts."

French semiconductor company Sequans Communications has agreed to sell its 4G Internet of Things technologies to Qualcomm subsidiary Qualcomm Technologies for $200 million.

And shares of JD Sports Fashion rose more than 5% in Friday's trading session in London after the British sports fashion retailer reported Thursday that fiscal Q2 2025 like-for-like sales and organic sales rose 2.4% and 8.3% respectively.