LONDON, April 13: Europe's main stock markets rose on Friday, with the energy sector lifted by higher crude oil prices, dealers said. However, gains were capped by investor caution ahead of inflation data in the United States and a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers and central bankers this weekend.

In late morning trade on Friday, London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares added 0.22 per cent to 6,430.50 points, Frankfurt's DAX 30 gained 0.38 per cent to 7,169.81 and in Paris the CAC 40 increased 0.20 per cent to 5,760.21 points.

The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone blue chip shares won 0.29 per cent to 4,292.51 points.

The euro stood at $1.3527 after earlier hitting $1.3534, the highest level since January 3, 2005, on expectations of rising eurozone interest rates, analysts said.

US shares closed higher Thursday as bargain hunters snapped up stocks following hefty losses in the prior day's trading session, dealers said.

Japanese share prices skidded lower Friday as investors waited nervously to see whether G7 ministers would discuss the weakness of the yen this weekend in Washington.

In Europe, energy companies were boosted by rising crude oil prices, which increase their profits. The price of Brent North Sea crude struck a seven-month high of $69.59 a barrel in early London trading Friday on concerns that current oil supplies may not be sufficient to meet demand, traders said.In London, shares in energy giant BP leapt 2.04 per cent to 574.5 pence, and Anglo-Dutch peer Royal Dutch Shell saw its 'B' shares climb 1.71 per cent to 1,727 pence.

In Paris, shares in oil and gas group Total jumped 1.06 per cent to 53.5 euros.

Frankfurt's best performer was SAP, the world's leading maker of business software, whose share price rocketed 3.98 per cent to 35.75 euros amid takeover talk, and after broker Merrill Lynch repeated its 'buy' rating on the stock.

There are some far-flung rumours going around of a possible takeover from Microsoft, but this reiteration has been the main event today for SAP shares, one anonymous Frankfurt trader said.

In US deals on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 0.55 per cent at 12,552.96 points after opening lower in morning trading.

The Nasdaq composite closed up 0.85 per cent at 2,480.32 points and the Standard and Poor's 500 broad-market index gained 0.62 per cent to 1,447.80.

Traders voiced optimism that the hangover from Wednesday's Wall Street sell off had abated after the minutes of a US Federal Reserve meeting dashed investors hopes of interest rate cuts anytime soon.—AFP