European equities advanced on Wednesday, with the STOXX 50 up 1.5% and the STOXX 600 gaining 1.2%, supported by broadly positive risk sentiment amid hopes that tensions with Iran might soon ease. US President Donald Trump said Washington was engaged in negotiations with Tehran and indicated that Iran appeared willing to seek a peace agreement, though Iranian officials denied that any direct talks were taking place. Trump also stated that he had pulled back from his recent threat to launch strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure “based on the fact that we’re negotiating.” In response, oil prices dropped by around 6%.
All major sectors closed in positive territory, with industrials and technology stocks leading the advance. Among notable movers, ASML Holding climbed 2.7%, HSBC Holdings rose 1.8%, Novartis added 1.5%, and SAP gained 1.4%. Grifols jumped more than 7%, topping the STOXX 600 after its board approved an IPO of the company’s US biopharma unit, a move aimed at raising capital and reducing debt.
