June 16 Reuters European shares opened higher on Friday as gains were led by defensive healthcare stocks at the end of a week dominated by major central bank policy decisions.

The continentwide European STOXX 600 index rose 0.2 at 0717 GMT, with the healthcare index up 0.5.

The STOXX 600 had ended Thursday lower after the European Central Bank ECB raised borrowing costs and signalled more policy tightening in its fight against sticky inflation, a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve39;s hawkish pause.

In contrast, the Bank of Japan maintained ultraeasy monetary policy on Friday despite strongerthanexpected inflation, signalling it will remain a dovish outlier among global central banks.

Ratesensitive technology shares dipped 0.1.

Shares of Britain39;s biggest supplier of building materials Travis Perkins slid 7.4 to the bottom of the STOXX 600 after it warned profit would be hit by difficulties in the country39;s housing market.

Reporting by Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru; Editing by Sohini Goswami

Source Reuters