LIVE MARKETS-Europe before the bell: futures hold as hectic week draws to a close

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EUROPE BEFORE THE BELL: FUTURES HOLD AS HECTIC WEEK DRAWS TO A CLOSE

European stock index futures are steady to slightly higher on Friday as a busy week of central bank draws to a close, with the Bank of Japan holding interest rates steady on Friday.

Euro STOXX 50 futures STXEc1 are up about 0.1%. Futures on the DAX FDXc1 and CAC FCEc1 are up 0.2%, while Britain's FTSE futures are flat.

The BOJ rounded off a week of central bank decisions by keeping short-term interest rates at 0.5%.

However, it said it would start unwinding its holdings of ETFs and REITs, and two members voted to raise borrowing costs, suggesting they could phase out monetary stimulus sooner than previously thought.

Japan's Nikkei 225 .N225 ended down about 0.6% but was still up 0.6% for the week.

Earlier this week, the Fed lowered borrowing costs for the first time since December last year, giving the rally in risky assets more legs, and the BoE kept its interest rate unchanged.

(Samuel Indyk)

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