European stock markets retreated on Friday as investors remained focused on escalating conflicts in the Middle East and the resulting global energy shock.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 0.5% to 595.9 points. In Paris, the CAC 40 and SBF 120 both lost 0.9%. The DAX 40 in Frankfurt slipped 0.6%, while the FTSE 100 in London declined by 0.4%. For the week, the Stoxx Europe 600 was down by 0.5%.
Meanwhile, Wall Street also saw a negative trend, with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 falling by 0.1% and 0.4% respectively, and the Nasdaq Composite dropping 0.8%.
“The Israeli-American bombings remain intense and are increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure. At the same time, the Iranian strategy to organize the energy market is confirmed, with the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks and attacks on tankers in the Persian Gulf,” commented Xavier Chapard, a strategist at LBP AM.
In this context, oil prices are rising to high levels, sparking concerns about a global inflation resurgence. By the end of Friday afternoon, the May contract for North Sea Brent crude was up by 1.3% at $101.73 per barrel in London.
In the U.S., the Fed’s preferred inflation measure, the PCE index, slightly slowed to 2.8% in January 2026, compared to 2.9% in February.
The euro also declined by 0.6% against the dollar, reaching $1.1444.
Stocks to watch include: – NANOBIOTIX (+5.1% at 28.85 euros): Stifel raised its target price on the French biotech company from 23 euros to 45 euros while reiterating its “buy” recommendation. – EUTELSAT (-3.2%): The satellite operator announced the termination of contracts for available capacities on the satellites Express AT1 and AT2, owned and operated by the Russian telecommunications operator RSCC. This termination will have a “limited” negative impact on the group’s revenue “at the lower end of the range” in millions of euros and will have “practically no impact” on the EBITDA for the fiscal year 2025-2026. – ROBERTET (-1.5%): The natural flavors specialist will be removed from the SBF 120 index from March 23rd, according to Euronext. Biopharmaceutical company DBV TECHNOLOGIES (+1%) will return to the index on the same date. – VIVENDI (-0.8%): The media and music conglomerate reported improved annual results on Thursday night, posting a net profit of 20 million euros in 2025 compared to a net loss of 6 billion euros in the previous year.
Source: Agefi-Dow Jones The financial newswire.
