European stocks clock second straight weekly gain

European shares closed near a nine-month high on Friday, supported by healthcare and banking stocks and upbeat economic data from Britain.

The pan-regional STOXX 600 (.STOXX) gained 0.5%, outperforming their U.S. peers after reporting season kicked off with mixed bank earnings. The European index closed its second consecutive week higher, with gains of 1.8%.

European banking stocks (.SX7P) gained 0.8%.

UK’s FTSE 100 (.FTSE) added 0.6% after data showed the British economy eked out 0.1% growth in November, helped by a boost from World Cup drinkers and video game sales, reducing the chance that it has already slipped into recession, reported Reuters.