European stocks closed at a fresh all-time high on Friday, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 index (a broad benchmark tracking 600 major companies across European markets) rising 0.3% to 660.25 points, marking its fourth consecutive record close and fourth straight week of gains. The technology sector led advances, climbing 1.9% in tandem with Wall Street gains, while standout corporate results — including a 17.8% surge in Irish building materials firm Kingspan after it raised its full-year profit outlook on surging data-centre demand, and a 6.5% jump in Danish pharma group Genmab following a 25% rise in first-half revenues — powered broader sentiment. A weaker-than-expected US jobs report, which showed the American economy shed 23,000 positions in July against forecasts of growth, reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady at its September meeting, giving equity markets an additional boost.