Amsterdam, March 7, 2026, 07:05 CET
- Europe’s STOXX 600 dropped 5.5%, marking its steepest weekly slide in almost a year, while Paris suffered its biggest weekly drop since April of last year. 1
- The CAC 40, AEX, and BEL 20 all ended Friday in the red, according to Euronext data. Lisbon’s PSI, however, managed to finish higher. 2
- Universal Music has pulled the plug on its planned U.S. listing, Worldline kicked off the initial tranche of a 500 million euro capital raise, and Euronext debuted new mini ETF options. 3
Euronext’s top indexes finished the week ended March 6 in the red, part of a broader European rout that marked the region’s sharpest downturn in nearly a year. Concerns over the conflict in the Middle East sent oil prices climbing and clouded hopes for imminent rate cuts. According to Euronext, the CAC 40 settled at 7,993.49, down 0.65% for the session. The AEX dropped 1.52% to close at 980.34, while the BEL 20 slipped 1.24% to 5,194.95. 1
Higher costs for oil and liquefied natural gas, both mostly brought in from abroad, continue to weigh on the euro zone—growth and inflation can take a hit at the same time. Euronext, with its reach across Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Milan, Oslo and Paris and more than 1,700 companies trading, gives investors a wide-angle look at those pressures. 4
It turned into a rates play fast. Oil jumped more than 27% for the week, Reuters said, stoking speculation that the ECB might have to stick with tighter policy to counter inflation driven by rising energy costs. Spanish central bank governor Jose Luis Escriva called it “very unlikely” that the ECB would move on rates at its next meeting. Amundi’s Ciaran Callaghan pointed out that Europe faces more vulnerability to spiking oil and the threat of stagflation—slower growth combined with sticky prices. 5
Thursday’s swing underlined just how fragile sentiment was. The STOXX 600 dropped 1.3%, giving up early gains and wiping out Wednesday’s rally, as renewed tanker attacks and stalled conflict talks kept investors wary. 4
Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, noted it was “harder to see a quick resolution,” pushing investors to rethink where rates might go. Export-focused industrials dragged the market lower Thursday. Banks lost ground, with travel and miners also slipping. 4
Friday wrapped up the week with the STOXX 600 down 1% for the session, capping a 5.5% weekly slide—its worst weekly showing in nearly a year. Paris and Frankfurt both recorded their largest weekly losses since last April, and Madrid saw its most severe drop in four years. 1
Banks slipped another 1.7% Friday, stuck near a three-month trough. Healthcare names shed 1.6%—Zealand Pharma took a hit, and Roche lost ground after obesity drug trial data. Energy bucked the trend, eking out a 0.8% gain. Defence stocks like Rheinmetall and Leonardo picked up as investors chased bets on increased weapons demand. 1
The fallout wasn’t felt equally on Euronext’s exchanges. Lisbon’s PSI managed a 0.15% rise to 8,946.04 by Friday’s close—a notable outlier in the group. Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels, however, all slipped into the red. 6
Company headlines brought fresh movement. Universal Music Group, traded in Amsterdam, has put its U.S. listing ambitions on ice, blaming tough market conditions for dragging its valuation under what it deems acceptable. Over in Paris, Worldline kicked off the 108 million euro reserved portion of a 500 million euro capital raise, pricing shares at 2.75 euros. Bpifrance, Credit Agricole, and BNP Paribas are all lined up as subscribers. 3
Worldline called the reserved sale just the opening move ahead of a planned rights issue worth around 392 million euros, pending market conditions and the green light from French regulators. Existing shareholders would get first crack at the new shares. Funds raised would back the company’s North Star 2030 strategy and help shore up its balance sheet. 7
Euronext kept up its momentum. On Thursday, the exchange rolled out four mini ETF options—smaller-sized contracts tied to ETFs from iShares and Vanguard—giving investors a way to hedge or speculate with less capital on the line. Anthony Attia, who oversees derivatives and post trade globally at Euronext, pitched the move as positioning Euronext as a “natural partner” for retail investors. BlackRock’s Jason Warr pointed to greater market choice. 8
Next week’s outlook still hinges on oil and shipping rather than fresh exchange products. Goldman Sachs is calling for Brent to move above $100 a barrel if shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remain tight; Barclays sees crude possibly pushing to $120 should the conflict drag out. Any renewed rally in energy prices would likely mean more pain for banks, travel names, and rate-sensitive stocks on Euronext. 9
