U.S. stock indexes advanced in midday trading Friday, following major gains on European markets.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is ahead 1.2 percent, with the S & P 500 index up seven-tenths of a percent and the NASDAQ by six-tenths of one percent.

In London, the Financial Times 100 index ended up 3 percent to close at 5,320. The CAC-40 in Paris finished ahead 4 percent to end at 3,214. The DAX in Frankfurt advanced 3.5 percent to end the week's trading at 5,998.

In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei index dipped two-tenths of a percent , to close at 8,964.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose a tenth of a percent , to end at 19,620.

Gold was trading down $22.80 at $1,741.13 an ounce.

The U.S. dollar slipped against the yen, but is up against the euro.