FX.co ★ European Stocks Edge Up

European stocks advanced on Friday, with the STOXX 50 up 0.5% and the STOXX 600 gaining 0.2%, as a halt in the recent energy price rally helped lift investor sentiment. Still, the situation in the Middle East remains unsettled, with uncertainty over the conflict involving Iran persisting as the war enters its seventh day. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the United States had “only just begun to fight.” Industrials and consumer cyclicals led sector gains. Despite Friday’s recovery, both indices remain sharply lower for the week: the STOXX 50 is down 5.8% and the STOXX 600 has fallen 4.6%, their steepest weekly declines since April of last year.