European stocks ended higher for a third straight session on Thursday, with upbeat earnings from French lender Société Générale SA and oil giant Total SA giving heart to market bulls. Even with three days of gains, equity markets in Europe have been trading in tight ranges recently, as investors absorb heightened political risks and a deluge of earnings reports.

U.S. stocks finished higher Thursday with the major indexes all notching the latest in a series of record closes, with energy and financial stocks leading the way.

Stocks and the dollar rebounded Friday, with Asian markets coming back to life after a listless Thursday as President Donald Trump said he would soon announce tax-reform measures. Japan led gains in the region, as a sharp drop in the yen steered the Nikkei Stock Average toward one of its biggest gains so far this year. The Nikkei NIK, +2.37% rose 440 points, or 2.3%, in early trade, a tad shy of its 2.5% advance seen in the year's opening session after an extended New Year's break.