The STOXX 50 rose 0.5% and the STOXX 600 gained 0.4% on Friday, marking their first advance in three sessions and pushing both indexes to fresh record highs. The mining sector was in the spotlight, with Glencore shares jumping nearly 7% after reports that Rio Tinto is in talks to acquire the company. The deal would create the world’s largest mining group, with a combined market value exceeding $200 billion, just over a year after previous negotiations between the two firms collapsed. Shares of Rio Tinto, however, fell 2.7%. Anglo American advanced 1.8%, while Norsk Hydro edged up 0.2%. The technology sector also traded higher, led by a 3.5% surge in ASML Holding. SAP added 0.3%, and Infineon gained 1.4%. By contrast, Sainsbury’s shares fell nearly 5%, making it one of the worst performer on the STOXX 600, after the supermarket chain reported disappointing Christmas trading results. For the first week of 2026, the STOXX 50 rose 0.9%, while the STOXX 600 added 1.2%.
