London shares steadied at the start of trading on Friday in cautious deals before a key speech from US Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen.
The benchmark FTSE 100 index rose 0.04 percent to 6,780.08 points in early deals.
Elsewhere in Europe, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 gained 0.12 percent to 9,390.29, while the CAC 40 index in Paris fell 0.04 percent to 4,291.06 compared with Thursday’s closing level.
Later on Friday, Yellen will deliver a keynote speech at the Fed’s annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, as investors continue to speculate on the direction of US interest rates.
London equities had marched higher on Thursday, cheered by hints the Fed could raise interest rates sooner than expected in view of US growth, and despite mixed eurozone data.
“Traders will keep a close eye on Fed chief Janet Yellen who will deliver a speech on labour markets later this afternoon,” said analyst Markus Huber at brokerage Peregrine & Black in London.
“Any hints that the labour market is more balanced and healthier than earlier this year might lead to a reassessment by analyst concerning the likely timing of a first rate rise.”
In Asia, Tokyo stocks fell 0.30 percent Friday with the Nikkei 225 index losing 47.01 points to 15,539.19 after nine consecutive days of gains.
The Tokyo market opened higher after the S&P index logged another record close on Wall Street.
The broad-based S&P added 0.29 percent to hit a record 1,992.37, while the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.36 percent to 17,039.49.