European Stocks Cautious, Set for Weekly Losses

2026-09-04 07:38 By Joana Taborda 1 min. read

European stocks were little changed on Friday, with both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 hovering around the flatline after posting modest gains in the previous session.

Investors continued to assess the monetary policy outlook, with the ECB widely expected to raise borrowing costs by 25 basis points next week, while ongoing tensions in the Middle East continued to weigh on sentiment.

Meanwhile, traders awaited the US jobs report due later in the day for further clues on the Fed’s next policy moves.

Automakers were among the top performers, led by Volkswagen, which surged 5.3% after reaching a major turnaround agreement that helped avert an escalation with unions and shareholder Lower Saxony.

Technology stocks also advanced, with ASML Holding rising 1% and Infineon gaining 1.3%.

In contrast, chemical and financial stocks were among the biggest laggards, with UniCredit falling 1.5%.

For the week, the STOXX 50 was down 1.6%, while the STOXX 600 declined 0.9%.



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European Stocks Cautious, Set for Weekly Losses
European stocks were little changed on Friday, with both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 hovering around the flatline after posting modest gains in the previous session. Investors continued to assess the monetary policy outlook, with the ECB widely expected to raise borrowing costs by 25 basis points next week, while ongoing tensions in the Middle East continued to weigh on sentiment. Meanwhile, traders awaited the US jobs report due later in the day for further clues on the Fed’s next policy moves. Automakers were among the top performers, led by Volkswagen, which surged 5.3% after reaching a major turnaround agreement that helped avert an escalation with unions and shareholder Lower Saxony. Technology stocks also advanced, with ASML Holding rising 1% and Infineon gaining 1.3%. In contrast, chemical and financial stocks were among the biggest laggards, with UniCredit falling 1.5%. For the week, the STOXX 50 was down 1.6%, while the STOXX 600 declined 0.9%.
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