European stocks on Thursday ended higher, with Airbus SE shares soaring after a well-received financial update, as traders appeared to regain their appetite for riskier assets. Meanwhile, weakness in the dollar was encouraging investors to load up on commodity-related shares.

U.S. stocks on Tuesday finished in the green, marking a third consecutive gain for equity gauges, ahead of a key inflation reading, even as shades of last week's brutal selling lingered.

Stocks in Japan, Australia and New Zealand gained Friday, while a number of major markets were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday, as investors regained confidence in equities after sharp slides last week.