European stocks slipped on Friday, with both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 down about 0.2%. Early optimism sparked by President Trump’s announcement of an extended truce faded, while rising oil prices continued to stoke inflation worries.
US President Trump said he would prolong the halt on strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure by 10 days, through April 6, to allow more time for negotiations. However, higher oil prices are already feeding into consumer prices. Preliminary data from Spain showed inflation in March climbing to its highest level since 2024, with monthly prices up 1%—the strongest increase since 2022—largely reflecting the economic impact of the conflict with Iran.
Among major movers, ASML Holding (-1%), HSBC Holdings (-0.8%), Shell (-0.3%) and Siemens (-1.4%) all traded lower, while AstraZeneca rallied 3.2% and SAP advanced 1.4%. Despite Friday’s pullback, the STOXX 50 is still up 1.1% for the week and the STOXX 600 has gained 1.3%.
