European Stocks Struggle Amid Market Jitters

European stocks saw a slight rise on Friday, but faced their worst weekly performance since April, as concerns over rising bond yields and potential interest rate hikes ahead of U.S. inflation data impacted market sentiment. The STOXX 600 index increased by 0.3% by 0716 GMT, after reaching a two-month low the previous day.

European stocks edged higher on Friday, recovering slightly from a challenging week plagued by fears of rising bond yields and prospective interest rate hikes. The pan-European STOXX 600 showed a minor gain of 0.3% to 637.60 by 0716 GMT, after hitting a two-month low on Thursday.

Concerns mounted after the European Central Bank raised interest rates and cautioned about persisting high inflation amid escalating energy prices, partly due to ongoing Middle East tensions. The market remained jittery as oil prices lingered above $100 for the third consecutive day.

As the European market reacted to these economic pressures, investor focus shifted to the U.S. for upcoming Consumer Price Index figures. These metrics could offer new insights into the Federal Reserve's future moves on interest rates, with a key policy meeting scheduled for the coming week.