LONDON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Financial bookmakers expect to see major European indexes rise by as much as 0.6 to 1.5 percent on Friday on optimism that recent interest rate cuts by central banks will ease the financial crisis.
London-based spreadbetters expect Britain's FTSE 100 to open 4 to 26 points higher, or as much as 0.6 percent, Germany's DAX to open 25 to 75 points up, or as much as 1.5 percent, and France's CAC-40 to open 11 to 30 points up, or as much as 0.9 percent.
Major U.S. stocks indexes rose by 2.1 to 2.6 percent on Thursday, while Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 registered a 0.7 percent gain. But on Friday, Japan's Nikkei average fell 5 percent despite a rate cut by the Bank of Japan.

(Reporting by Atul Prakash) Keywords: MARKETS EUROPE STOCKS/BOOKIES tf.TFN-Europe_newsdesk@thomson.com ak

COPYRIGHT

Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.