Friday’s trading in Europe reflected a renewed wave of confidence: markets surged to levels not seen in five months, propelled by strong earnings and optimism surrounding the U.S.–Russia summit in Alaska. The STOXX 600 jumped roughly 0.3%, marking a second straight week of gains. Local markets echoed the strength—Britain’s FTSE 100 set a new record, Germany’s DAX hit a fresh one-month peak, and Spain’s IBEX alongside Italy’s FTSE MIB rose to heights not witnessed since 2007.
The rally centered on mining and chemical sectors. Heavyweights like Antofagasta, Anglo American, and Glencore all rose more than 2%, while Danish power cable producer NKT saw a sharp boost after lifting its full-year forecast.
A surge of geopolitical hope infused energy into the markets. Investors are pinning hopes on the summit in Alaska to ease the Ukraine situation—particularly anticipating a ceasefire that could spark demand in construction, banking, and rebuilding sectors.
That said, the optimism wasn’t universal. Semiconductor firms—including ASML, BE Semiconductor, and ASMI—retreated as concerns grew over cooling demand and tariff pressures. Jewelry giant Pandora plunged over 10% after warning of weaker sales across Europe.
Even so, despite headwinds like rising U.S. producer prices and softening growth signals from China, European markets held firm. Strong earnings and a wave of geopolitical relief buoyed investors, pushing equities higher and putting Europe in a promising position to start the week.
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