European stocks were lower on Friday, with the STOXX 50 falling 0.8% and the STOXX 600 declining 0.6%, as a sharp sell-off in chip shares spread from the US to Asia-Pacific markets and weighed heavily on the tech sector. Renewed concerns over stretched valuations overshadowed strong earnings from ASML and TSMC, while escalating hostilities in the Middle East further dampened risk appetite. Tech stocks led the declines, with ASML Holding (-3.9%), Infineon (-4.8%) and STMicroelectronics (-5.8%) among the biggest losers. Burberry also underperformed, dropping around 5% after results failed to impress investors. In contrast, utilities and consumer staples posted gains. Saab rose 2.6% after reporting record orders. Vodafone advanced 3.0% and National Grid gained 2.2%, ranking among the session's best performers. On the week, the STOXX 50 is up 0.2% while the STOXX 600 added 0.4% so far.