The STOXX 50 rose 0.5% and the STOXX 600 gained 0.4% on Friday, marking their first advance in three sessions and pushing both indexes to fresh record highs.
The mining sector was in the spotlight, with Glencore shares jumping nearly 7% after reports that Rio Tinto is in talks to acquire the company.
The deal would create the world’s largest mining group, with a combined market value exceeding $200 billion, just over a year after previous negotiations between the two firms collapsed.
Shares of Rio Tinto, however, fell 2.7%.
Anglo American advanced 1.8%, while Norsk Hydro edged up 0.2%.
The technology sector also traded higher, led by a 3.5% surge in ASML Holding.
SAP added 0.3%, and Infineon gained 1.4%.
For the first week of 2026, the STOXX 50 rose 0.9%, while the STOXX 600 added 1.2%.