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European stocks climbed for a second day as a report showed fewer Americans claimed unemployment benefits last week than estimated.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 0.5 percent to 332.43 at the close of trading as diplomats from Ukraine, Russia, the U.S. and the European Union held talks on the unrest in eastern Ukraine. The equity benchmark has climbed 1.1 percent this week. It has still fallen 2 percent from this year’s high on April 4 amid a confrontation between Ukraine’s government and pro-Russian separatists in the country’s eastern region.

National benchmarks gained in 12 of the 15 European markets that opened today. France’s CAC 40 Index and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 rose 0.6 percent. Germany’s DAX climbed 1 percent. Sweden’s OMX Stockholm 30 retreated 0.1 percent after closing early. Norway, Denmark and Iceland were all shut for Maundy Thursday.

A Labor Department report showed U.S. jobless claims rose to 304,000 in the week ended April 12, fewer than the median economist forecast of 315,000.

Renault climbed 1.9 percent to 73.37 euros as a report by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association showed the carmaker’s sales rallied 29 percent in March. Daimler AG, which increased sales by 5.4 percent, added 3 percent to 67.29 euros. Registrations in Europe gained 10 percent to 1.49 million vehicles, ACEA said. A gauge of auto-related companies rose 2.1 percent, the best performance on the Stoxx 600.

Remy Cointreau dropped 3.3 percent to 60.87 euros after saying that adjusted operating profit probably declined by 35 percent to 40 percent in the financial year through March. It had predicted a drop of at least 10 percent. The maker of Remy Martin cognac also said annual organic sales fell 11 percent, wider than the 9.7 percent drop predicted by analysts. Remy posts its full-years results on June 5.

Diageo slipped 3.7 percent to 1,829 pence after the world’s biggest distiller said sales, excluding acquisitions and currency swings, fell 1.3 percent in the third quarter of its financial year. The median projection of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg had called for an increase of 1.8 percent.

SAP declined 1.2 percent to 57.73 euros after the world’s largest maker of business software reported first-quarter operating profit, excluding some items, of 919 million euros ($1.3 billion) on sales of 3.7 billion euros. Analysts on average had predicted earnings of 975 million euros and revenue of 3.8 billion euros.

Akzo Nobel slid 5.8 percent to 53.55 euros after posting sales of 3.38 billion euros, trailing the 3.44 billion-euro average analyst estimate. The world’s largest maker of paint also reported first-quarter net income of 129 million euros, exceeding the 116 million-euro average estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

U.S. stock futures rose slightly as investors weighed results from Google (GOOG) Inc. to Morgan Stanley (MS) and data showed fewer Americans than forecast filed jobless claims.

Global markets:

Nikkei 14,417.53 0.00%

Hang Seng 22,760.24 +0.28%

Shanghai Composite 2,098.88 -0.30%

FTSE 6,612.83 +0.44%

CAC 4,427.90 +0.50%

DAX 9,386.74 +0.74%

Crude oil $103.96 (+0.19%)

Gold $1301.00 (-0.18%)

European stocks declined, paring their advance this week, as SAP AG slid after posting worse-than-forecast earnings and sales, outweighing gains by carmakers. U.S. index futures slipped, while Asian shares rose.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index retreated 0.3 percent to 329.86 at 10:53 a.m. in London as diplomats from Ukraine, Russia, the U.S. and the European Union meet for talks in Geneva today. The benchmark has still added 0.3 percent this week. It has fallen 2.8 percent from this year’s high on April 4 amid a confrontation between Ukraine’s government and pro-Russian separatists in the country’s eastern region.

“Investors are very cautious because of Ukraine and Russia,” Christian Stocker, a senior strategist at UniCredit Bank AG in Munich, said by phone. “We hope the meeting in Geneva will give some hints as to whether the U.S. and Europe impose real economic sanctions on Russia. SAP missed estimates and the stock’s in the red. The technology sector is suffering a bit because of high valuations.”

In the U.S., Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the central bank is committed to maintaining an appropriate level of monetary accommodation to support the country’s economic recovery. Investors should watch shortfalls in both inflation and the jobless rate for indications on the Federal Open Market Committee’s decision on the federal-funds rate, she said in New York after European markets closed yesterday.

Separately, the central bank’s Beige Book business survey showed that eight of its 12 districts experienced “modest or moderate” growth based on reports gathered before April 7. The FOMC next meets on April 29-30 to discuss monetary policy.

SAP declined 3.3 percent to 56.52 euros after the world’s largest maker of business software reported first-quarter operating profit, excluding some items, of 919 million euros ($1.3 billion) on sales of 3.7 billion euros. Analysts on average had predicted earnings of 975 million euros and revenue of 3.8 billion euros.

Akzo Nobel plunged 6.7 percent to 53.08 euros after posting sales of 3.38 billion euros, trailing the 3.44 billion-euro average analyst estimate. The world’s largest maker of paint also reported first-quarter net income of 129 million euros, exceeding the 116 million-euro average estimate of analysts.

Remy Cointreau dropped 3.1 percent to 61.01 euros after saying that adjusted operating profit probably declined by 35 percent to 40 percent in the financial year through March. It had predicted a drop of at least 10 percent. The maker of Remy Martin cognac also said annual organic sales fell 11 percent, wider than the 9.7 percent drop predicted by analysts. Remy posts its full-years results on June 5.

Diageo Plc slipped 4.1 percent to 1,823 pence after the world’s biggest distiller said sales, excluding acquisitions and currency swings, fell 1.3 percent in the third quarter of its financial year. The median projection of analysts had called for an increase of 1.8 percent.

Pernod Ricard SA, Europe’s second-largest distiller, retreated 3.5 percent to 84.99 euros. A gauge of food and beverage stocks posted the worst performance of the 19 industry groups in the Stoxx 600.

FTSE 100 6,576.09 -8.08 -0.12%

CAC 40 4,395.92 -9.74 -0.22%

DAX 9,298.53 -19.29 -0.21%

Asian stocks rose for a second day after U.S. industrial production increased more than forecast in March and Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the central bank remains committed to supporting the economic recovery.

Nikkei 225 14,417.53 -0.15 0.00%

S&P/ASX 200 5,454.2 +33.88 +0.63%

Shanghai Composite 2,098.92 -6.20 -0.29%

GungHo Online Entertainment Inc. surged 9.4 percent after the Nikkei newspaper reported the Internet games maker’s operating profit rose.

Canon Inc. gained 1.7 percent on a report the camera maker’s earnings in the March quarter jumped about 50 percent.

Citic Pacific Ltd. lost 2.7 percent in Hong Kong after the steelmaker and property developer agreed to pay 226.9 billion yuan ($36 billion) to buy Chinese banking and brokerage assets from its state-owned parent.