Europe's benchmark STOXX 600 index closed at 658.32 on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, up 1.80 points or 0.27% on the day and just 0.33% below its record close of 660.51, set on 11 August 2026. The index had traded as high as 662.54 in morning trading before a hotter-than-expected US inflation reading pulled European shares back from their highs.

Germany's DAX rose 0.3% to 26,347.45 and France's CAC 40 gained 0.6% to 8,278.59, according to Sharecast, as banks and energy-intensive industrials led the advance and chipmaker Infineon climbed after strong quarterly earnings. Morningstar, reporting Dow Jones market data, noted it was the index's sixth-highest close of the year and its best since 13 August.

Hot US inflation pared the rally

Stocks surged in the first half of the session on hopes that the Middle East conflict was nearing an end, after US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran was effectively over and that further military action did not seem necessary for now. Brent crude fell 0.5% to $92.09 a barrel as oil prices eased, lifting airlines and other energy users.

The mood cooled after the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumer prices rose 0.4% in October, above the 0.3% economists had expected, with core inflation up 0.3%. Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, said the reading raised the chance of a Federal Reserve rate rise in December, with markets pricing an 86% chance of a 25 basis point increase.

What to watch next

Investors will now watch whether the STOXX 600 can push past its August record when trading resumes, and whether easing oil prices continue to support European shares. The index is up 11.17% so far in 2026, and it has now risen for two consecutive trading days, gaining 1.54% over that period.