European stocks finished with modest losses Thursday, as analysts said traders avoided big bets ahead of a key U.S. jobs report. Investors assessed a surprisingly weak Markit reading on U.K. services, which hit its lowest level in three years.

US Stocks swung from early session losses Thursday to close slightly higher for a third day of gains, with energy shares maintaining gains after a rebound by oil futures fizzled and a flurry of economic data pointed to continued lackluster U.S. growth.

A three-week recovery in Asian stocks was cooling on Friday, with investor focus turning to China's annual legislative sessions, a series of meetings that kick off in Beijing on Saturday.

Based on MarketWatch materials