European stocks tick mostly higher amid hopes for fresh U.S.-Iran talks in Stock News 07/05/2026 European stocks inched mostly higher on Thursday, as investors assessed reports that the U.S. and Iran were working to restart negotiations to end their ongoing war. By 03:10 ET (07:10 GMT), the pan-European Stoxx 600 had gained 0.1%, the Dax in Germany ticked up by 0.1%, and the CAC 40 in France had risen by 0.4%. The laggard was the FTSE 100 in the U.K., which was down by 0.3%. Washington and Tehran have reportedly been working with mediators on a one-page framework to once again restart talks over a lasting peace deal. The discussions are expected kick off next week in Pakistan, according to the Wall Street Journal. The paper added that a monthlong process would then look to resolve disputes over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and relief from sanctions, although key disagreements remain over areas like nuclear enrichment and inspections. President Donald Trump has suggested that the U.S. operation against Iran, which it launched jointly with Israel in late February, would be over if Tehran “agrees to give what has been agreed to.” Stock markets in the U.S. ripped higher on Wednesday on fresh hopes that a conclusion to the war was imminent. Oil prices also sank as traders cheered the prospect of a reopening of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway off of Iran’s southern coast for roughly a fifth of the world’s crude that has been effectively closed for much of the conflict. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, last slipped by 3.7% at $97.92 a barrel on Thursday. A stream of earnings from European companies are hovering around sentiment. as well Shell’s stock price dipped after the oil giant posted better-than-expected quarterly profit by slashed share buybacks. Semiconductor designer Arm Holdings unveiled a first-quarter revenue outlook that topped estimates, marking yet another sign that runaway demand for chips during the artificial intell