This was CNBC's live blog covering European markets.

European stock markets closed higher Friday as a busy week for earnings drew to a close.

The regional Stoxx 600 index ended the session 0.52% higher, after earnings disappointments led to two sessions in the red. Germany's DAX closed 0.12% lower as the country heads into its election weekend, while France's CAC 40 gained 0.39%.

European firms Kingspan, Air Liquide, Sika AG and others reported their fourth-quarter earnings Friday. Standard Chartered beat market expectations, and added nearly 4%.

Building materials firm Kingspan Group said it was seeing "spectacular" growth in its data center division, with sector revenues rising 36% over the year. The stock closed 13% higher.

"A lot of it is driven, unsurprisingly, by the expansion of AI capability worldwide," said Gene Murtagh, CEO of Kingspan Group on a call with analysts. "If anything, our issue here is being able to build factories at a fast enough pace to keep up with demand, which I guess is a good problem to have."

Overnight in the United States, the three major averages closed lower after the S&P 500 hit record highs for two consecutive days. Investors sold off shares of some popular companies following a weak forecast from retail giant Walmart, which raised concerns about the economic outlook.

U.S. stocks were lower on Friday.

In Asian markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 2.98% to its highest level since February 2022, according to data from LSEG.

Shares of Hong Kong listed Alibaba rose 12.9% following a significant profit increase for the company in the December quarter, driven by growth in its Cloud Intelligence division and e-commerce sector. 

Europe stocks close higher

European stock markets closed higher on Friday, with the Stoxx 600 index up by 0.52% led by chemicals and food and beverage stocks.

The solid Friday performance allowed the index to shake off two negative sessions and maintain a winning run of nine weeks in the green.

— Jenni Reid

S&P 500 opens little changed

The S&P 500 opened slightly lower on Friday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was under pressure due to a sharp pullback in UnitedHealth stock.

The broad market index lost 0.07%. The 30-stock Dow pulled back 232 points, or 0.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.2%.

— Brian Evans

China is going through a great transition, says Standard Chartered CEO

Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters says that he is optimistic about China, as the country goes through a transition amid global fragmentation.

Ferrexpo shares rebound by 15%

Shares in London-listed miner Ferrexpo rebounded by about 15% a day after it lost nearly a third of its value.

The stock plunged on Thursday after news emerged of the Ukrainian government's decision to move ahead with the nationalization of the company's Poltava mining and processing plant.

Reuters news agency reported that the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigations was awaiting court approval to seize the assets, amid allegations of misappropriation of funds related to illegal mining.

The company's shares also saw about half their value lost in a trading day earlier this month when Ukraine filed a $3.8 billion civil claim against the company. Shares had retraced much of their losses.

The Swiss-headquartered company has previously faced numerous investigations into its largest shareholder, Kostyantyn Zhevago, a Ukrainian businessman who has been sanctioned by Ukraine on suspicion of "high treason." Zhevago owns 49% of the company, according to FactSet.

Ferrexpo on Thursday said it noted a media announcement in Ukraine by the State Bureau of Investigation regarding a potential claim to the High Anti-Corruption Court. However, "the Company has not received any formal notification of such a claim and is working with its legal advisors to understand the situation," Ferrexpo said in a statement to investors.

— Ganesh Rao

Europe's 'cultural attitude' is holding back defense spending, says Leonardo CEO

European stocks open in positive territory

European stock markets were trading higher as markets opened on Friday morning, with earnings remaining in focus for investors.

The regional Stoxx 600 was up by 0.3%, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 and Germany's DAX were marginally higher by 0.1% at 8:10 a.m. London time. Meanwhile, France's CAC 40 was up 0.4% and Italy's MIB rose by 0.3%.

— Ganesh Rao

Standard Chartered beats market expectations

Standard Chartered has beaten market forecasts with its latest results, as the bank made $1.6 billion for the fourth quarter before setting aside money for bad loans.

The bank did particularly well in its wealth management arm, according to Jefferies analysts, where income rose by more than a third compared with the same period last year. "Wealth Solutions revenue was a standout performance +36% YoY, as were Financial Markets revenues (+48%) - management call out a strong start to 2025 in both lines," said Jefferies' Joseph Dickerson.

The London-headquartered bank plans to buy back £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) of its shares from investors, which is more than the $1.1 billion expected. That comes as the bank's boss says the firm has made a strong start to 2025 across its main businesses.

"Good cost discipline has enabled us to generate positive income-to-cost jaws, even with continued underlying investments," said Bill Winters, chief executive of Standard Chartered.

"Credit impairment rose 5 per cent year-on-year, mainly from higher charges in Wealth & Retail Banking (WRB), while Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) benefitted from recoveries. The broader portfolios have proved resilient, and we remain vigilant in the face of a volatile global environment," he added.

Analysts from JPMorgan say the results show Standard Chartered is on track to hit its return on tangible equity targets by 2026.

— Ganesh Rao

Stocks close lower

Stocks fell on Thursday as a weak outlook from Walmart pressured the broader market and worried investors about the health of earnings moving forward.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped more than 450 points, or 1%, to close at 44,176.65. The Nasdaq Composite lost nearly 0.5% to end at 19,962.36, while the S&P 500 pulled back 0.4% to finish the session at 6,117.52.

— Brian Evans