Airbus falls to bottom of CAC 40 on weakerthanfeared Q1
Amundi surges after upbeat Q1 inflows
U.S. March PCE data awaited at 1230 GMT
STOXX 600 up 0.6

April 26 Reuters European shares rose on Friday and looked set to end the week higher as investors cheered robust results from tech giants in the United States, while Thyssenkrupp was on course for its best day in 23 months on a divesture announcement.

The panEuropean STOXX 600 index started the session with a 0.6 increase by 0845 GMT.

The technology sector drove most of the gains on the top index as investors took comfort from upbeat quarterly results from U.S. technology giants Microsoft and Alphabet.

Thyssenkrupp surged 10.5 to the top of the main index after the German firm said it will sell a 20 stake in its steel business to the energy holding controlled by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.

On the earnings front, Amundi added 7 after Europe39;s biggest fund manager posted strong firstquarter inflows.

Offsetting the optimism, Airbus posted weakerthanexpected firstquarter operating profit and cashflow, sending shares of the planemaker down 2.3 to the bottom of France39;s benchmark index.

Overall, LSEG analysts estimate firstquarter earnings to decrease 12.1 from a year earlier, as of Tuesday.

The benchmark index was on course to mark a weekly gain of 1.2, snapping a threeweek losing streak.

Much of the volatility during the week has been driven by a mixed corporate earnings season, against the backdrop of…