Global equities strengthened on Friday as crude oil prices retreated and Treasury and European sovereign yields stabilized, easing pressure on rate-sensitive and energy-dependent sectors. The STOXX 600 closed 0.4% higher, lifting its weekly gain to 0.5%, its strongest performance in a month and its first positive week over that period. Earlier intraday reporting had put the index up 0.6% and heading for a 0.1% weekly increase. US equity futures tied to the S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq 100 each rose about 0.5%, while Canada’s S&P/TSX Composite Index added 0.3% to 35,801 and India’s BSE Sensex rose about 0.4% to 73,895.7. Oil declined as reports pointed to possible US-Iranian diplomatic progress, reducing immediate concerns over Middle East supply disruption. Gate data showed WTI crude down 1.57% at $97.22 a barrel and Brent down 0.78% at $103.67, while gold traded at $4,275.97 an ounce and silver rose 0.58% to $63.959. Canadian banks advanced, energy shares fell, and investors remained focused on bond-market weakness, European gas-storage concerns, Middle East tensions and US-China trade relations.