• European stocks open lower Friday morning as geopolitical concerns take center stage.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.21 percent lower with most sectors moving in negative territory.

Investors are set to take cues from Asian markets where equities fell on concerns of another hydrogen bomb test. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters in New York overnight the country could perform another nuclear test in the Pacific Ocean of an "unprecedented scale."

Back in Europe, all eyes will be on Prime Minister Theresa May, who is set to deliver a key speech at 2:15 p.m. London time on the country's negotiations with the European Union. Media reports earlier this week suggested that May will say the U.K. is ready to pay 20 billion euros ($23.92 billion) for a two-year transition period after Brexit. The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said Thursday that "time is of the essence" and six months have gone by since the