European equities opened sharply lower on Friday as geopolitical tensions escalated following Israel’s early morning strikes on Iranian territory. The broad-based STOXX Europe 600 $^STOXX index fell 1%, with red dominating across nearly all sectors. Only the energy complex, buoyed by rising crude prices, remained in positive territory. The intensification of conflict in the Middle East renewed investor anxiety, triggering a defensive rotation away from risk assets. Equity markets across Europe reacted swiftly to the overnight developments, reflecting heightened sensitivity to geopolitical shocks in a macro environment already challenged by interest rate uncertainty and subdued economic momentum.

Chime Financial Inc. made a robust entrance on the public markets, with shares surging 37% on their first trading day following a significantly oversubscribed initial public offering. The neobank’s shares opened at $43, substantially above the IPO price of $27, and briefly climbed 66% before settling at $37.11 at the close of trading in New York. The offering raised $864 million, positioning it as the sixth-largest U.S. IPO of 2025 to date.

Cloudflare Inc. $NET, a prominent player in web security and content delivery infrastructure, has disclosed plans to raise $1.75 billion through a private placement of convertible senior notes maturing in 2030. The announcement led to a noticeable drop in NET stock, as traders priced in the risk of future equity dilution tied to the hybrid instrument.