Europe midday: Stoxx hits record on earnings, Iran war talks optimism
6th Aug 2026 11:19
(Sharecast News) - European shares touched fresh intra-day highs on Thursday after a mixed Wall Street performance overnight, as investors weighed rising optimism about a US-Iran deal with poor jobs data.
The benchmark Stoxx 600 index was up 0.47% to 660 at 1155 BST. US stocks were mixed on Wednesday, with the Dow hitting another all-time high but the S&P 500 and Nasdaq erasing earlier gains to finish lower.
Iran and Oman reached an understanding on the geographic coordinates for a shipping route through the strait of Hormuz, and a joint announcement was being finalised, according to Iran's foreign ministry.
In economic news, German industrial orders rose in June driven by a surge in large scale orders and helped by a downwards revision to May's readout.
New orders increased 3.1% month‑on‑month, seasonally and calendar‑adjusted, according to provisional figures from the Federal Statistical Office.
That followed a revised 0.3% rise in May from April compared with an initial reading of 1.9% with the adjustment attributed to price changes.
In equity news shares in ad agency WPP surged by a quarter after beating growth estimates, while Deutsche Telekom jumped after announcing an expanded buyback.
Renk rose 5.5% after the defence group reported a surge in second‑quarter orders that topped analysts' expectations. By contrast, Rheinmetall slipped cutting its 2026 sales outlook.
Hikma Pharmaceuticals jumped as it posted a 9% rise in half‑year core operating profit and reaffirmed its full‑year guidance.
Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com