European equities advanced on Friday, with the STOXX 600 reported up 0.5% to 0.6% and the STOXX 50 gaining 0.8%, as investors assessed renewed inflation pressures in France and Spain and awaited Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s speech at Jackson Hole. The harmonized inflation data were described as reaching fresh multi-year highs, strengthening expectations that European Central Bank policymakers could resume raising interest rates at their September meeting. France’s CAC 40 gained about 1% after falling to a one-month low, while French banks Societe Generale, BNP and Credit Agricole rose between 0.8% and 1%. Strabag jumped 7.6% to nearly 9% after raising its full-year outlook, and Bertelsmann rose 0.2% after improving its 2026 outlook.