European stocks closed higher on Friday, as regional markets reopened following a closure for the Christmas holiday.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally ended the session 0.6% higher, with most sectors and major bourses in positive territory. The index was up 0.89% on the week after two weeks in the red.
Healthcare stocks were among those seeing gains on Friday, with the sector lifted by a 2% boost to Novo Nordisk‘s share price. The Danish pharmaceutical giant continued its recovery from a major selloff that saw shares plummet 20% in a single session last week.
Shares of oil tanker firm Frontline were also boosted on Friday, closing 2.5% higher. It comes as oil prices are on track for weekly gains and economic growth forecasts for China, the world’s largest oil importer, were revised upward by the World Bank amid pledges for more fiscal stimulus from Beijing.
Norwegian oil and gas company Vaar Energi also …