Milan - European shares opened slightly higher on Friday although investors remained cautious before a key US jobs report that could provide clues on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy outlook.
By 0815 GMT, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index was up 0.3 percent at 1 297.69 points.
BNP Paribas was among the top gainers, up 4 percent, after France's biggest bank presented plans to cut investment banking costs in a bid to bolster profitability and said it would quit some activities to fuel growth.
But ArcelorMittal fell 6 percent after the world's largest steelmaker unveiled plans to raise $3 billion in fresh capital in a bid to reduce debt in the face of weak steel and mining sectors.
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Almost all sectors were trading in positive territory except for miners, which on Thursday staged their biggest one-day gain since September 2011, and utilities.
REUTERS