LONDON — European stock markets ended in positive territory on Friday as investors digested a tumultuous month-end.
pan-european Stocks 600 Major exchanges and most sectors were in positive territory, closing the day 0.2% higher.
November was a volatile month for the stock market. Concerns that AI-driven overvaluations will resurface, coupled with insights from the recent earnings season and uncertainty surrounding monetary policy, have set off a rollercoaster of reassurance-seeking rallies and sharp declines.
But global markets rose this week on expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would cut interest rates at its next meeting on December 9-10.
Looking at individual stocks, delivery hero It remained at the top of the index throughout the previous trading session. The German food delivery company soared 14.6% on Friday after shareholders called for a strategic review, Bloomberg reported.
Although Europe’s delivery sector continues to grow at a slower pace than the U.S., investors are bullish on Delivery Hero’s potential to “crystallize the value of some valuable assets” after these reports, said Clement Junelot, vice president of equity research at Stifel.
Junelot told CNBC that an outright acquisition by one player is “very unlikely,” but Delivery Hero’s assets in South Korea, the Middle East and Latin America could attract buyers. Delivery Hero declined to comment when contacted by CNBC.
Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk continues to attract the attention of investors. The company’s shares closed 2% higher on Friday, reversing losses from the previous session. On Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced new negotiated prices for the best-selling drugs Ozempic and Wegovy starting in 2027. The new price for Medicare patients will be $274, a 71% discount from the current list price.
british airlines easyjet Shares closed 3% higher as investors reacted to strong results on Wednesday, when the company raised its package holiday profit forecast.
german stocks puma Shares soared more than 18% on Thursday following media reports that Chinese sports multinational Anta Sports was preparing a takeover offer. But on Friday, the stock fell 1.3%.
Investors were keeping an eye on defense stocks on Friday as U.S. officials continue to try to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin broke his silence on the plan Thursday, saying Russia was ready for “serious talks.”
The STOXX Aerospace and Defense Index ended 0.1% lower.
Overall positive month for Stoxx 600
European indexes rose for the fifth consecutive month in November, with healthcare stocks leading the way. Roche Bayer performed well after announcing strong clinical trial data, but France’s Abibax Year-to-date growth is well over 1,000%, driven by promising data on the company’s ulcerative colitis treatment.
Concerns over AI-powered bubbles and skyrocketing valuations in the U.S. spread to Europe, sending stocks of tech companies up and down wildly. ASMIThe Dutch chip equipment maker, which supplies equipment to chipmakers, fell nearly 15% month-on-month. ASML It’s down about 2% over the same period.
ASMI rose 0.6% and ASML closed 0.7% higher.
Defensive stocks also saw losses, with Germany’s Hensoldt falling nearly 25% this month after the capital market day’s growth outlook was delayed.
In terms of data, some European member states released preliminary inflation statistics on Friday.
British car production data from the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Trade Association was released earlier in the day, revealing a 23.8% year-on-year drop in October 2025 after a cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover halted production for more than two weeks.
Investors also focused on U.S. commodities on Friday after a cooling issue at CME Group’s CyrusOne data center halted trading in the futures market.
“Support is working to resolve the issue in the short term and will notify clients as soon as we have pre-opening details,” CME Group said in a statement on its website.
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Friday, but U.S. stock futures were little changed on Thursday night in a holiday-shortened week. The Nasdaq Composite is on track to end its seven-month winning streak.
—CNBC’s Jordan Butt contributed to this report.
