12:14 PM EDT, 05/03/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed higher in Friday trading as The Stoxx Europe 600 gained 0.44%, the Swiss Market Index increased 0.56%, France's CAC was up 0.54%, the FTSE in London rose 0.51%, and Germany's DAX closed 0.59% higher.

The euro area seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.5% in March, unchanged from the previous month and down from 6.6% a year earlier, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the EU, the unemployment rate declined to 6% in March from 6.1% in February and was unchanged from March 2023.

In the UK, the seasonally adjusted S&P Global UK Services PMI Business Activity Index rose to 55.0 from 53.1 in March and remained above the 50.0 no-change threshold for the sixth straight month. It was also the fastest rate of business activity growth since May 2023.

In France, manufacturing industry output decreased 0.5% in March after increasing 1.0% in February, according to the Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies.

In Ireland, the AIB Services Business Activity Index fell to 53.3 in April from 56.6 in March, marking the slowest rate of growth in Irish service sector output since January.

And in corporate news, shares of German consumer goods company Henkel rose more than 7% on the DAX after it said Friday that it is raising its 2024 sales and earnings outlook "based on the very good business performance in the year to date." The company increased its growth outlook for adjusted earnings per preferred share to a range of 15% to 25% at constant exchange rates from previous guidance of 5% to 20%. It also raised its organic sales growth outlook to 2.5% to 4.5% from 2.0% to 4.0%.

French bank Societe Generale's shares fell more than 5% in Paris after it reported that Q1 net interest income grew at "the lower-end of the range of the projected scenarios," which it attributed to decreasing sight deposits outstanding due to the shift toward interest-bearing deposits and financial savings.

UK-based alcoholic beverage company Diageo said Friday that it has named Nik Jhangiani as its Chief Financial Officer, effective this Fall. Jhangiani will succeed Lavanya Chandrashekar, who will step down after three years as CFO.