European Shares Trade Muted
European shares were little changed on Friday as gains across several sectors were offset by weakness in technology stocks.
Investors also continued to monitor renewed Middle East tensions, which kept the benchmark index on track for a weekly decline.
STOXX 600 Heads for Weekly Loss
The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.2% to 642.42 by 0714 GMT.
Despite the small gain, the index remained on course for a weekly loss. This could end its four-week winning streak.
Miners and Travel Stocks Lead Gains
Most sectors within the STOXX 600 traded higher.
Mining stocks led the advance, rising around 2%. Travel and leisure shares also gained 1%, helped by strength in airline stocks.
EasyJet Jumps on Takeover Approach
UK airline EasyJet surged 13.4% after agreeing in principle to a £5.7 billion takeover approach from Apollo Global.
The move helped lift the wider travel and leisure sector.
Chip Stocks Decline
Technology stocks were weaker, with semiconductor shares under pressure.
Siltronic fell 2%, while Soitec dropped 2.8%. ASML also declined by around 2%.
AI Valuation Concerns Weigh on Sentiment
Investors remained cautious ahead of SK Hynix’s U.S. market debut.
Concerns over high valuations in AI-related stocks continued to weigh on chipmakers. These worries raised questions about how much further some semiconductor stocks can rise.
Middle East Tensions Add Market Uncertainty
Geopolitical risks also remained in focus.
Iranian forces attacked U.S. military infrastructure in Gulf states on Thursday, putting more pressure on a three-week-old ceasefire.
The latest escalation added uncertainty to markets as investors waited for clearer signs on whether the conflict could move toward a resolution.
