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London - Europe's stock markets rose in opening trade on Friday, continuing to win support from the European Central Bank's (ECB) unprecedented quantitative easing stimulus.
In initial deals, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index of top companies won 0.42% to 6 825.41 points, Frankfurt's DAX 30 rose 0.65% to 10 503.33 points and the CAC 40 in Paris gained 0.78% to 4 588.49, compared with Thursday's closing level.
"The positive open stems from continued digestion of the ECB's QE announcement yesterday (Thursday) which pleased markets," said Mike van Dulken, head of research at trading firm Accendo Markets.
The ECB sparked off a global stock market rally on Thursday after it revealed radical plans to pump more than €1.0trn into the eurozone economy through September 2016 in order to boost growth and fight deflation.
In reaction, European and US stocks jumped higher on Thursday and the rally extended into Asia on Friday.
The ECB's decision to pump tens of billions of euros a month into financial markets has however sent the euro plunging to 11-year lows against the dollar.
ECB chief Mario Draghi's announcement of a €60bn per month in quantitative easing exceeded market expectations by €10bn.
The QE stimulus had been widely predicted following a string of weak inflation figures out of the eurozone that culminated in a fall in prices in December for the first time in five years.
That sparked fears of a spiral of deflation and a long period of anaemic economic growth in the 19-nation currency bloc.
