European equities inch higher as tech and healthcare lift markets, oil prices stay elevated

European stock markets rose modestly in the morning, led by technology and healthcare shares. Investors focused on corporate earnings and developments in the Persian Gulf, while the euro edged stronger against the dollar. Oil prices remained near the elevated levels set after recent tensions in the Hormuz Strait, with expectations that the United States and Israel will first settle war‑damage claims before regaining full shipping access. Gold prices stayed above $4,300 per ounce.

In the Czech market, the BCPP index was influenced by strong second‑quarter results from CSG, boosting its early gains before a later pull‑back. The Czech koruna weakened against the euro and the dollar. Deutsche Telekom jumped about 6.3% after announcing a €5 billion share‑buyback, while Renk rose 5.5% on record new orders. Siemens fell roughly 4.5% and Rheinmetall about 3.5% on weaker outlooks.

Wall Street closed mixed, with the Nasdaq down 0.15% and the S&P 500 losing over 0.3%. In Europe, the German DAX was flat, France’s CAC 40 added 0.3%, and Britain’s FTSE 100 rose modestly. Poland’s WIG20 surged nearly 0.9% to break the 4,000‑point psychological barrier. Asian markets saw the Shanghai Composite up 0.57%, South Korea’s KOSPI down 4.58%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 down 0.93%. Memory‑chip makers SK Hynix, Samsung, Kioxia and Tokyo Electron fell sharply on weaker AI‑related demand, while SanDisk and Western Digital also declined. Albemarle gained about 8% on improved earnings, and Moderna posted profit despite recent flu‑vaccine approval.