U.K. stocks moved higher Friday, extending a run of weekly wins, as the pound slid to a seven-week low after disappointing data on British economic growth. In the first quarter, the U.K. logged its slowest rate of economic growth since 2012, official figures showed, widely undershooting analysts' forecasts and significantly lowering expectations of a Bank of England rate rise next month.

U.S. stock benchmarks closed out Friday little changed, and booked modest losses, as investors expressed muted enthusiasm following strong corporate results, even from some of the market's biggest and most influential companies.

Asia-Pacific stocks started the week higher, led by financial stocks in Hong Kong and Singapore as markets in China and Japan are closed for holidays.