The Stockholm Stock Exchange concluded Friday's session in the red following a volatile day of trading, mirroring the performance of leading European bourses. Reports that the United States is deploying three warships and between 2,200 and 2,500 Marines to the Middle East exacerbated fears of a protracted conflict in Iran.

At the close, the OMXS30 index was down 1.52 percent at 2,864.69. Shares worth approximately SEK 43.9 billion changed hands on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.

Among the exchange's major industrial sectors, consumer staples performed best with a decline of 0.9 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, real estate bottomed out with a 2.5 percent loss.

Among the blue-chip stocks included in the OMXS30 index, Nibe B rose 6.4 percent, while Assa Abloy B fell 0.3 percent. The weakest performer was Saab B, down 4.5 percent, while Boliden declined 3.4 percent.

Mining and rock excavation technology company Epiroc has secured an order from a mining customer in Africa worth SEK 380 million. The stock rose 0.7 percent.

Construction firm Skanska received a USD 1.5 billion order in the US. The stock fell 1.2 percent.

Moody's Ratings has upgraded the outlook for pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to positive from stable, while affirming the company's A1 credit rating. The stock traded down 1.4 percent.

Moody's affirmed hygiene and health company Essity's long-term credit rating of Baa1 and simultaneously raised the outlook to positive from stable. The stock fell 0.8 percent.

Security firm Securitas is establishing a new business unit, Security Risk Management, to strengthen its position in intelligence-based security. The new unit brings together Pinkerton, Liferaft, and Securitas' existing Risk Intelligence operations under unified leadership. The stock was down 1.3 percent.

Contract manufacturer Note is acquiring UK-based STI, an EMS partner within the defense industry. STI is expected to generate revenue of SEK 750 million in 2026 with profitability in line with Note and has 300 employees. The purchase price amounts to GBP 72.5 million.

Note also confirmed its full-year outlook for 2026. The operating margin is estimated to reach 9.5-10.5 percent. For the first quarter, revenue is expected to be SEK 930-960 million with an operating margin of 8.5-9.0 percent. Note reiterated its forecast of a weaker start to the year followed by a gradual strengthening. The stock fell 3.5 percent.

The sawmill in Bygdsiljum, part of Holmen Trävaror, is slowing production by the equivalent of 30,000 cubic meters of timber due to the war in the Middle East, reports Västerbottens-Kuriren. The measure aims to limit losses as exports are heavily impacted. Holmen's shares retreated 0.7 percent.

Biotechnology company Hansa Biopharma has secured USD 30 million in financing, equivalent to nearly SEK 280 million, via convertible notes from Athyrium Capital Management. The capital is intended to extend the cash runway until mid-2027 and support a planned US launch of imlifidase, subject to approval. The stock rose 0.7 percent.

OEM International has appointed Daniel Warnholtz as the new CFO, effective August 1, 2026. He joins from a similar role at Coor Service Management and has previously served as CFO at Consolis and Ambea. The stock rose 0.3 percent.

Real estate company Corem is initiating a SEK 150 million share buyback program. The new program follows a previous buyback initiative, under which Corem has purchased its own shares for SEK 124 million since December 2025. The stock was up 2.7 percent.

Software company Lime's CEO Tommas Davoust has purchased shares for SEK 5.0 million, which contributed to the stock falling 0.8 percent.

On the same theme, engineering group Atlas Copco fell 1.2 percent following an insider purchase by CEO Vagner Rego, who bought shares for SEK 1.5 million.

On the analysis front, Handelsbanken scrapped its sell recommendation for Nibe and upgraded the rating to hold. The stock increased 6.4 percent.

RBC lowered its rating for Boliden to sector perform from outperform. The stock was down 3.4 percent, following a significant decline yesterday.

Affärsvärlden issued a buy recommendation for Cloetta, which retreated 1.1 percent.

SB1 Markets initiated coverage of Dustin with a neutral rating. The stock declined 3.1 percent.