European shares ended the week lower on Friday, though a rally in Volkswagen helped steady the market after the automaker agreed on a major turnaround plan.
The benchmark STOXX 600 ticked up 0.1% to finish at 649.88 points on Friday, capping a volatile week with an overall decline of 0.8%. The weekly slide was fuelled by escalating conflict in the Middle East, which sent crude prices higher and added to investor concerns over sticky inflation, rising government debt, and prolonged central bank tightening.
