European stock markets closed the week on a cautious note, with the pan-European STOXX 600 easing 0.2% to 610.28 points as of 0809 GMT. The session was dominated by headlines out of the auto sector and renewed anxiety in technology names, producing a subdued finish to an otherwise volatile week.
At the centre of the move was Stellantis, which plunged 14.4% and prompted a trading halt after the Franco-Italian carmaker disclosed roughly 22.2 billion euros in charges for the second half of last year. The company said these charges relate to a scaling back of its electric-vehicle development plans, a disclosure that directly hit investor sentiment in autos and beyond.
The broader auto sector felt the impact, sliding 2.4% and leading sectoral declines across the STOXX 600. Market participants treated the Stellantis announcement as a material profit and strategic reset for a major manufacturer, and equities within the auto complex suffered accordingly.
Technology stocks also retreated, falling about 1% on the day and facing their largest weekly percentage decline since late March 2025. Investors cited growing concerns that newer AI tools could disrupt established software firms and business models, a worry compounded by a separate development from a major U.S. technology company. Amazon.com, based in the United States, said it would boost spending by 50%, a step that rattled sentiment in the sector and contributed to the pullback.
Not all names moved lower. Societe Generale jumped 6.3% after the French lender exceeded fourth-quarter profit expectations and raised a key profitability target for 2026. The bank's results and upward guidance provided a rare bright spot in European financials on the day.
In healthcare, weight-loss drugmaker Novo Nordisk gained 4.2% after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicated it would take action regarding what it described as 'illegal copycat drugs'. That regulatory intervention supported the stock amid ongoing scrutiny of competing products.
Separately, a market-facing product pitched an analytical tool for investors considering a purchase of STLAM. The ProPicks AI service advertises that it evaluates STLAM alongside thousands of other companies every month using more than 100 financial metrics. The tool states it uses AI to assess fundamentals, momentum and valuation, and highlights past winners including Super Micro Computer, which it cited as up 185%, and AppLovin, cited as up 157%.
The mix of substantial corporate charges, sector-specific regulatory developments and increased spending plans by a major tech firm set a cautious tone across European markets as the week concluded.