Ibex Breaks Streak as Oil Prices and Inflation Weigh on Markets

The Ibex 35 index has ended its streak of four consecutive weeks of gains. After falling 0.06% in the session, it closed at 20,156 points, marking a weekly drop of 0.10%. Despite reaching new highs recently, the selective index remains close to these historical records.

The Spanish Stock Exchange's performance was weaker after several days of setting records, influenced by ongoing tensions between the US and Iran, oil prices, and inflation rates. These factors continue to shape expectations about interest rates and the behavior of stock exchanges.

Sabadell led the gains among Ibex companies, rising 1.50%, followed by Amadeus (+1.49%), Repsol (+1.13%), Unicaja (+1.06%), Mapfre (+0.96%), and Cellnex (+0.80%). The banking sector has been a key driver of the Ibex's rise in recent months, with future evolution dependent on interest rates and entities' ability to sustain their margins.

Repsol also ended higher due to renewed oil price increases, with Brent at around $87.88 per barrel at the European close. Tension in the Middle East remains a significant risk for markets.