European stocks closed higher on Friday, trimming loses from the week with support from heavyweight banks and luxury brands. The Euro STOXX 50 rose 0.6% to 6,458 and the STOXX Europe 600 gained 0.5% to 653. Santander surged 2.7%, while BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, BBVA, and Nordea rose more than 1% to limit losses on the week as the US Treasury signal that it would intervene in bond market weakness on Wednesday raised volatility for benchmark credit costs. In turn, Italian lenders underperformed amid a wave of M&A possibilities in the sector, with UniCredit closing 0.3% higher while Intesa Sanpaolo fell 0.7%. Banca MPS simultaneously launched bids on Banco BMP and Banca Generali, jointly worth €34 billion, as it fends off Intesa's takeover bid. Meanwhile, LVMH, Adidas, Hermes, and Ferrari jumped between 2.3% and 1.5% for a positive session for luxury brands. The Euro STOXX 50 lost 1.3% and the STOXX Europe 600 fell 0.6% on the week.
Euro Area's main stock market index, the EU50, rose to 6466 points on August 21, 2026, gaining 0.68% from the previous session. Over the past month, the index has climbed 2.35% and is up 17.81% 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 6582.30 in August of 2026. Euro Area Stock Market Index (EU50) - data, forecasts, historical chart - was last updated on August 23 of 2026.
Euro Area's main stock market index, the EU50, rose to 6466 points on August 21, 2026, gaining 0.68% from the previous session. Over the past month, the index has climbed 2.35% and is up 17.81% 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 6393.64 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 5826.20 in 12 months time.