BRUSSELS, 31st July, 2026 (WAM) -- European shares closed lower on Friday but still recorded gains for the month.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index slipped 0.1 percent to 649.19 points after touching a record high earlier in the session before surrendering its gains.
Shares of Universal Music Group plunged 25.4 percent, marking the company's largest single-day decline on record, following the release of its first-half financial results.
The media sector index fell 5.5 percent, while technology stocks rose 0.3 percent, although they pared some of their earlier gains.