World stocks advanced, bond yields rose and the U.S. dollar strengthened on Friday.

MSCI's world equity index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, gained 0.09 percent, just shy of a record intraday high.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index rose 0.24 percent.

The dollar index, tracking the greenback against a basket of major currencies, rose 0.49 percent, its biggest daily gain in a month, with the euro down 0.69 percent to $1.1768.

In the Middle East, banks led the Saudi Arabian stock market higher on Thursday after Riyad Bank reported better-than-expected earnings for the third quarter, while builder Drake & Scull jumped in Dubai.Riyad Bank gained 6.2 percent after reporting a 47.7 percent year-on-year rise in third-quarter net profit to 1.08 billion riyals ($288 million); analysts polled by Reuters had on average forecast 852.5 million riyals.

The Saudi stock index climbed 1.0 percent.

In Dubai, the index climbed 0.8 percent. Drake & Scull, which has attracted renewed interest since it completed a capital restructuring early this month, gained 5.3 percent to 2.01 dirhams in heavy trade. It has climbed by more than a third since early October.

In Abu Dhabi, Dana Gas added 2.7 percent, helping the index edge up 0.1 percent.

In Egypt, the blue-chip index gained 0.9 percent. Alexandria Flour Mills surged 10 percent after announcing a 3.15 Egyptian pound cash dividend, to be paid to holders as of Nov. 6.

In commodities, U.S. crude settled up 0.35 percent at $51.47 per barrel and Brent was last at $57.75, up 0.91 percent on Friday, ending the week up on support from a sharp decline in Iraqi crude exports due to tensions in the Kurdistan region.

The increased risk appetite sent gold lower on Friday. Spot gold dropped 0.7 percent to $1,280.65 an ounce. U.S. gold futures fell 0.60 percent to $1,282.30 an ounce.

In other news, China’s property sales will slow in the fourth quarter but prices will remain stable, the housing minister said on Sunday, as more signs emerge that the country’s nearly two-year housing boom has peaked.

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