Economy / Markets
European shares end higher as Warsh speech lets French banks rebound
European equities closed higher on Friday with the pan-European STOXX 600 up 0.5 percent at 655.16, leaving the index with a modest weekly gain after two consecutive weekly declines. French lender stocks led the rebound, with Societe Generale, BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole rising between 1 percent and 1.9 percent as investors stepped back into names that had slumped Thursday on worries over France's fiscal outlook, while automakers climbed 2.5 percent led by a 4.5 percent gain for BMW and energy added 0.3 percent after digesting Warsh's Jackson Hole speech.