Shares of Roche and Zealand Pharma fell 1.7% and 31.2% respectively after the companies announced mid-stage study results for an experimental obesity drug. The European Stoxx 600 index rose 0.2% to 606.26 points but remained near a one-month low. Defense sector stocks provided the biggest boost to the index, but a fall in the healthcare sub-index limited those gains. The DAX, FTSE 100, and CAC 40 indices rose 0.40%, 0.30%, and 0.25% respectively. The European Stoxx 600 index edged up slightly on Friday but is poised for its worst weekly performance in nearly a year, as the escalation of the Middle East war has led to a global risk-off sentiment and caused significant market turmoil.
