File photo: AFP

European stock markets rebounded at the start of trading Friday, but failed to overturn the previous day's plunge seen on heightened recession fears triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Shortly after the open, London was up 3.4 percent, Frankfurt won 2.1 percent, Paris gained 2.4 percent and Milan rallied 4.5 percent.  

Paris suffered its worst one-day lost ever Thursday and London and Frankfurt had their blackest days since the late 1980s with losses of around 10-12 percent.