FX.co ★ European Stocks Pare Losses

The STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 pared early declines to hover around the flatline on Friday afternoon, as investors paused amid a modest pullback in oil prices while continuing to weigh the escalating conflict with Iran and signals from the US administration aimed at containing the recent surge in energy prices. Utilities led sectoral gains, with technology, basic materials, and energy also in positive territory, largely offsetting weakness in consumer cyclicals and healthcare. Among individual movers, Roche rose 1.8%, Shell added 1.1%, TotalEnergies gained 2.1%, Allianz advanced 1.2%, and Prosus climbed 2.9%. On the downside, L’Oréal slipped 1.4%, Siemens eased 1.3%, and Siemens Energy declined 2.8%. For the week, both benchmarks were broadly unchanged.