French Market In Negative Territory

(RTTNews) - The French market slipped into the red on Friday afternoon, after lawmakers in Greece approved the country's third bailout program. The Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers are scheduled to meet later in the day to discuss the bailout package.

In economic news, Germany's economic growth improved in the second quarter as a weaker euro underpinned exports, while the French economy faltered as growth in shipments was offset by a notable fall in investment.

German gross domestic product rose 0.4 percent quarter-on-quarter, slightly faster than the 0.3 percent expansion seen in the first three months of the year, Destatis said.

Insee said France stagnated in the second quarter after expanding at the fastest pace in almost two years. The first quarter growth was revised up to 0.7 percent from 0.6 percent. Economists had expected growth to ease to 0.2 percent.

Reports on producer prices, industrial production and consumer sentiment are expected from across the Atlantic later in the day.

The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks advanced 0.42 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, gained 0.37 percent.

The CAC 40 index slid 0.4 percent.

Lenders BNP Paribas sand Societe Generale were in negative territory, while Credit Agricole added modestly.

Safran climbed 1.2 percent. Renault and Peugeot rose moderately.

Other markets in the region rose moderately in early trade.

The Asian stocks turned in a mixed performance, as lackluster cues from Wall Street and weak commodity prices tempered gains resulting from easing concerns over a full-blown currency war.

In the U.S., futures point to a higher open on Wall Street. In the previous session, stocks ended narrowly mixed as a drop in energy shares offset better-than-expected Cisco results and mostly positive jobless claims and retail sales data.

Crude for September delivery fell $0.31 to $41.92 per barrel, while December gold advanced $1.0 to $1116.6 a troy ounce.