On Friday, European stocks climbed for a fourth day on better-than-forecast UK economic growth and German business confidence and earnings from Adidas AG to Akzo Nobel NV that topped estimates. Asian shares and US futures advanced.

Adidas, the world’s second-largest sporting-goods maker, and Akzo Nobel, the biggest maker of paints, rose more than three per cent. Societe Television Francaise rallied 4.3 per cent after the company posted a jump in first-half profit. A measure of bank stocks fluctuated before the results of stress tests on European lenders were released.

Strong company results and encouraging economic data lifted European shares, though investors remained cautious ahead of the results of stress tests on the continent’s banks after market close.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was up 0.3 per cent at 1,042.36 points, having risen 3.2 per cent in the previous two sessions.

Financial stocks were mostly lower, with the STOXX Europe 600 banking index down 0.1 per cent. Standard Chartered, HSBC, Credit Agricole and Bankinter were down 0.6 to 1.8 per cent. According to a survey of investors conducted by Goldman Sachs, 10 out of the banks subjected to the tests were expected to fail. Mining stocks were up, with copper hitting a two-month high on fund buying.

The market was also supported by economic data, with German business sentiment posting a record jump in July to its highest level in three years, as a World Cup buzz underpinned spending in Europe’s largest economy.

Britain’s gross domestic product jumped 1.1 per cent in the second quarter, almost twice as fast as expected, buoyed by a sharp pick-up in services output and the fastest rise in construction output in almost 50 years.

Japanese stocks gained for the first time in six days after US companies raised earnings forecasts, the yen weakened and commodity prices advanced. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average jumped 2.3 per cent while the Topix gained 1.9 per cent.