European equities closed firmly higher on Friday with support from the strong momentum for North American equities and a pullback in bond yields, improving the macroeconomic backdrop for the corporate sector. The Eurozone's STOXX 50 gained 3% to 6,025 and the pan-European STOXX 60 advanced 1.9% to 626, both testing their highest level since before the start of the war in Iran at the last session of February. AI infrastructure companies rallied as markets continued to gauge how much room there is for the sector to extend its strong momentum. Nokia surged 10.6% after announcing projects with AMD, Lenovo, and Supermicro. In turn, ASML jumped nearly 5%. Banks and industrial companies were also sharply higher, with Schneider, Airbus, Santander, and UniCredit adding over 2% each.

Euro Area's main stock market index, the EU50, rose to 5998 points on May 22, 2026, gaining 0.57% from the previous session. Over the past month, the index has climbed 1.75% and is up 12.61% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Euro Area. Historically, the Euro Area Stock Market Index (EU50) reached an all time high of 6208.30 in February of 2026. Euro Area Stock Market Index (EU50) - data, forecasts, historical chart - was last updated on May 22 of 2026.

Euro Area's main stock market index, the EU50, rose to 5998 points on May 22, 2026, gaining 0.57% from the previous session. Over the past month, the index has climbed 1.75% and is up 12.61% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Euro Area. The Euro Area Stock Market Index (EU50) is expected to trade at 5749.54 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate it to trade at 5253.96 in 12 months time.



Indexes Price Day Month Year Date
FR40 8,099.00 41.20 0.51% -1.56% 4.71% May/22
DE40 24,788.30 310.79 1.26% 2.62% 4.90% May/22
IT40 49,429.67 382.13 0.78% 3.18% 25.22% May/22
ES35 18,026.20 51.00 0.28% 0.78% 27.81% May/22
EU100 1,847.11 14.09 0.77% 2.00% 17.70% May/22
EU600 625.12 4.56 0.73% 1.78% 14.67% May/22
EU50 6,000.10 36.35 0.61% 1.79% 12.65% May/22

Components Price Day Year MCap Date
ASML Holding 1,408.40 63.20 4.70% 119.17% 583B May/22
LVMH 472.40 -1.15 -0.24% -1.38% 287.61B May/22
Siemens 269.63 5.58 2.11% 27.00% 254.42B May/22
Linde 445.80 2.40 0.54% 10.29% 234.9B May/22
L'Oréal 363.05 3.60 1.00% -2.65% 234.46B May/22
SAP 151.82 0.92 0.61% -41.73% 202.24B May/22
Banco Santander 10.49 0.03 0.32% 50.49% 189.63B May/22
Inditex 50.96 0.58 1.15% 8.26% 188.72B May/22
Allianz 384.85 -1.05 -0.27% 10.91% 170.84B May/22
Schneider Electric 270.68 6.08 2.30% 24.65% 170.09B May/22




Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Euro Area Inflation Rate 3.00 2.60 percent Apr 2026
Euro Area Interest Rate 2.15 2.15 percent Apr 2026
Euro Area Unemployment Rate 6.20 6.30 percent Mar 2026

Euro Area Stock Market Index (EU50)
The EURO STOXX 50 is a major stock market index which tracks the performance of 50 Blue-chip companies based in twelve Euro Area countries: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
5998.10 5963.95 6208.30 615.90 1986 - 2026 points Daily

Market Data Coverage: Euro Area

News Stream
European Stocks Close Sharply Higher
European equities closed firmly higher on Friday with support from the strong momentum for North American equities and a pullback in bond yields, improving the macroeconomic backdrop for the corporate sector. The Eurozone's STOXX 50 gained 3% to 6,025 and the pan-European STOXX 60 advanced 1.9% to 626, both testing their highest level since before the start of the war in Iran at the last session of February. AI infrastructure companies rallied as markets continued to gauge how much room there is for the sector to extend its strong momentum. Nokia surged 10.6% after announcing projects with AMD, Lenovo, and Supermicro. In turn, ASML jumped nearly 5%. Banks and industrial companies were also sharply higher, with Schneider, Airbus, Santander, and UniCredit adding over 2% each.
2026-05-22
European Stocks to End the Week Higher
European stocks moved higher on Friday, with the STOXX 50 gaining 0.7% and the STOXX 600 advancing 0.6%, supported by strong momentum in the tech sector as investors continued rotating into AI-related companies following a positive lead from Asian markets. ASML Holding rose more than 2.5%, while Infineon climbed 4.3% and STMicroelectronics surged 3.9%. Luxury stocks also traded firmly higher after strong earnings from Richemont, whose full-year sales exceeded expectations, sending its shares up 2.3%. LVMH gained 1.4%, Hermes added 0.7%, and L’Oréal rose 0.4%. Despite the upbeat session, investors remained cautious as the conflict involving Iran continued to weigh on sentiment and add uncertainty to global markets. For the week so far, both the STOXX 50 and the STOXX 600 have gained around 2.3%, supported by growing optimism that the US and Iran could eventually reach an agreement to de-escalate tensions, potentially leading to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
2026-05-22
European Stocks Poised for Higher Open
European equity markets were set for a stronger open on Friday as investors prepared for a fresh batch of regional economic data while continuing to monitor ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran. Key releases scheduled for the day include Germany’s consumer confidence and business climate indicators, UK retail sales data, and French business confidence figures. No major corporate earnings reports are expected. Meanwhile, Iran said the latest US proposal had partially narrowed differences between the two sides, though remarks from Iran’s Supreme Leader regarding the country’s uranium stockpile, along with disagreements over tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, continued to cloud hopes for a breakthrough agreement. In corporate developments, Estée Lauder and Puig announced on Thursday that they had ended merger discussions. In premarket trading, Euro Stoxx 50 futures rose 0.8%, while Stoxx 600 futures gained 0.7%.
2026-05-22