European Shares Rise Friday; US-Iran Ceasefire Deal Hopes, Strong Q1 Earnings Boost Markets
European shares rose Friday, capping a positive month, driven by hopes for a US-Iran ceasefire deal and strong Q1 earnings. Dublin, London, and New York indexes saw gains, with the S&P 500 on track for its ninth consecutive weekly rise, the longest since December 2023.
European shares edged higher on Friday, concluding the month with gains amid hopes for a US-Iran deal to extend a Middle East ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump has yet to approve the deal, which Iranian state media reports is not finalized.
In Dublin, the Iseq Overall Index ended positively. AIB shares gained 2.2% weekly to €10.16, up 6.2% monthly. Bank of Ireland rose 1.8% to €17.61, an 8.3% monthly gain. Kingspan saw a 4.5% weekly gain. Ryanair closed at €25.13, up 15.3% monthly, and Irish Continental rose 3.2%.
London's FTSE 100 ended down 0.2% but posted monthly gains of 0.3%. The FTSE 250 gained 0.4% daily and 4.3% for May. Ocado shares soared 7.1% after a deal with Asda. UK retailers B&M, Currys, Dunelm, and Wickes Group dipped 0.9%-2.4% after Deutsche Bank downgrades.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 rose 0.1%, securing a 2.5% monthly gain despite Middle East conflict escalations. Lufthansa and Air France added over 2%. German ticket firm CTS Eventim jumped 10.7% after Q1 2026 revenue grew 23%. Orkla shares fell 5.3% after UBS downgraded the company to «sell».
In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 218.86 points (0.43%) to 50,888.48, and the S&P 500 rose 9.06 points (0.12%) to 7,572.73. The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.43 points (0.01%) to 26,915.85. The S&P 500 is set for its ninth consecutive weekly gain, the longest since December 2023, with all three indexes poised for monthly advances.