European stock indexes soared on Friday for the second straight day, with U.S. markets also advancing, but not by as much at the end of a volatile week at exchanges throughout the world.

Share prices at exchanges in Britain, France and Germany all closed up by more than 3 percent, regaining most of this week's losses. In the U.S., all three benchmark indexes are ahead, with the bellwether Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 key stocks up nearly one and a half percent. Earlier, Asian indexes closed mixed, little changed from Thursday.

Some stock trading in Europe was marked by new restrictions, as France, Italy, Spain and Belgium each banned the short-selling of stocks to calm market turmoil sparked by fears about huge debts accumulated by European governments. Short-selling is an attempt to profit by betting that a stock's price will fall.

In the U.S., markets were boosted by a government report that U.S. consumer spending advanced in July by the biggest amount in four months. Even so, a second report showed that consumer confidence is waning, dropping this month to a 31-year low.

The Dow index ended up 4 percent Thursday, after plummeting almost five percent the day before, in a week of alternating days of huge losses followed by massive gains. The S & P 500 and the NASDAQ also closed higher Thursday.

Analysts say stocks received a boost Thursday from a U.S. government report that said first-time claims for jobless benefits fell to a four-month low in the past week. Many investors interpreted that as good news for the U.S. economy, following an unprecedented downgrade of the U.S. sovereign debt rating a week ago. That downgrade triggered Monday's sell-off, starting the week of market gyrations.