Global Markets | Europe's STOXX 600 inches up but set for worst week in nearly a year

Europe's STOXX 600 inched higher on Friday, but was headed for its worst weekly ‌performance ⁠in nearly a ⁠year as the escalating war in the Middle East battered global risk appetite and threw financial markets into disarray.

The pan-European benchmark was up 0.2% at 606.26 points by 0805 GMT, but remained near one-month lows.

Defense stocks ⁠were the ‌biggest boost to the index, but gains were capped by declines in the ⁠healthcare index .


Roche and Zealand Pharma shares dropped 1.7% and 31.2%, respectively, after the pharmaceutical firms reported mid-stage study data on experimental obesity drug.

The conflict in the Middle East has widened over the past week with no signs of easing, rattling global ‌markets and pushing European stocks down nearly 4.6% this week.

Market attention will also be on the revised ⁠reading of euro zone fourth-quarter GDP and employment data later in the day as well as speeches from European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and board member Isabel Schnabel.

Among individual stocks, Lufthansa added 2.8% after reporting better-than-expected results for its 2025 financial year.