European stock indexes rise while Germany's DAX slips on Friday

European equity markets closed higher on the week’s last trading day, with the Stoxx Europe 600 gaining 0.04 % to 641.1 points. The UK FTSE 100 rose 0.24 % to 10,497.29, France’s CAC 40 increased 0.15 % to 8,338.97 and Italy’s FTSE MIB climbed 0.44 % to 52,614.17. Germany’s DAX, however, fell 0.2 % to 25,067.09.

The euro‑dollar pair edged up 0.07 % to 1.1422. Market commentary linked the modest rally to heightened geopolitical tension after reciprocal attacks between the United States and Iran. In Germany, annual inflation eased to 2.3 % in June as the pace of energy‑price growth slowed.

The European Union announced that its 27 member states now total 452 million people. The EU also opened a disciplinary procedure against Bulgaria over its budget deficit and accused Meta Platforms of breaching digital‑service rules by employing design elements that foster addiction on Facebook and Instagram. Meanwhile, U.S. private‑equity firm Apollo offered £5.7 billion for the low‑cost airline easyJet, sidelining a competing bid from Castlelake.