European Stocks Rise to Kick Off the Week
2026-05-25 07:27
By
Joana Taborda
1 min. read
European stocks opened the week on a strong note, with the STOXX 50 climbing 1.1% and the STOXX 600 rising 0.6% to near three-month highs, as investors grew increasingly optimistic about a US-Iran agreement that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump said negotiations with Iran were “proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner,” while adding that he was “in no rush” to secure a final deal.
At the same time, senior US officials signaled that Washington and Tehran were edging closer to an agreement that would restore access to the key shipping route.
The prospect of easing geopolitical risks pushed oil prices sharply lower.
Banks led the gains, with BBVA rising 2.5%, Santander up 2%, UniCredit advancing 2%, and BNP Paribas adding 1.7%.
Industrial stocks also performed strongly, including Safran (+5.1%) and Siemens (+1.9%), while airlines rallied on the back of lower fuel prices, namely Lufthansa (+4.1%) and Air France-KLM (+7.6%).