Europe's main stock benchmark closed down modestly Friday, snapping a weekly run of gains, as investors remained largely on the sidelines before Donald Trump delivers his inauguration speech as the 45th president of the United States.

U.S. stocks closed higher Friday after coming off intraday highs as Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the U.S. In his inauguration speech, the new president reiterated his protectionist stance but did not offer details on how he would go about pursuing his agenda.

After some initial softness, Asian stocks are broadly higher as investors continue to digest what Donald Trump means to their holdings. But Japanese equities are a noted laggard as the yen leads broad currency gains in the dollar, rising nearly a full yen from late-Friday levels in the U.S.