European shares showed little net movement on Friday as sector-level winners were offset by losses in technology and chip stocks, leaving the region's benchmark modestly higher for the day but vulnerable to a weekly decline.
By 0714 GMT the pan-European STOXX 600 had gained 0.2% to 642.42. Despite the intraday uptick, the index was poised to end the week lower, which would interrupt a four-week streak of weekly gains.
Most sectors on the STOXX 600 advanced. Miners led the list with a 2% rise, and the travel and leisure group added about 1% as airlines were generally firmer. In the move of the session among travel names, EasyJet jumped 13.4% after agreeing in principle to a £5.7 billion takeover approach from Apollo Global.
At the same time, key chip-related names weighed on the market. Siltronic and Soitec fell about 2% and 2.8% respectively, and ASML slipped 2% during the trading session. Market participants flagged valuation concerns around AI-related equities as a constraint on further upside for chipmakers, a dynamic that left investors cautious ahead of South Korea's SK Hynix preparing for its U.S. debut.
Geopolitical developments added to the market's cautious tone. Iranian forces attacked U.S. military infrastructure in Gulf states on Thursday, a move that further weakened a three-week-old ceasefire and heightened uncertainty about the conflict's near-term resolution. The renewed hostilities contributed to a risk-off element in markets, even as some sectors delivered gains.
Putting the session in context, the STOXX 600's modest rise masked divergent performance beneath the surface - resource and travel stocks outperformed while semiconductor-related names and a handful of large-cap technology suppliers lagged.
Market snapshot
- STOXX 600: +0.2% to 642.42 by 0714 GMT
- Miners: +2%
- Travel and leisure: +1%, airlines largely higher
- EasyJet: +13.4% after agreement in principle on a £5.7 billion takeover approach from Apollo Global
- Siltronic: -2%
- Soitec: -2.8%
- ASML: -2%