European equities were little changed at Friday’s open, with gains in automotive and banking stocks balancing out declines in the healthcare sector. Investor attention remained on the political situation in France, where President Emmanuel Macron is expected to name a new prime minister soon.
By 07:12 GMT, the STOXX 600 index was steady at 571.2 points, on track for a third consecutive weekly gain.
The autos sector rose 0.9%, helped by a 1.5% jump in Milan-listed Stellantis N.V. (BIT:STLAM) shares after the company reported a 13% year-on-year increase in global vehicle shipments for the third quarter. Eurozone banks were also higher, up 0.5%, with BNP Paribas (EU:BNP) and Commerzbank AG (TG:CBK) both gaining close to 1%.
On the downside, healthcare stocks fell 0.5%. UK-based AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN) and Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) were each down about 1%.
Political developments in France also drew market interest as Macron convenes meetings with mainstream political parties ahead of the deadline to name a new prime minister. French blue-chip stocks gained 0.3%.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Energiekontor AG (TG:EKT) dropped 13.3% after the wind and solar developer cut its earnings guidance for 2025.
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