The Stockholm Stock Exchange is trading higher at midday on Friday following a relatively volatile start where the index briefly dipped into negative territory. This performance aligns with leading European bourses. The conflict in the Middle East remains the primary focus, while oil prices have eased slightly following yesterday's rally.

At 1:00 PM, the OMXS30 index was up 0.64 percent at 2,927.48. Shares worth approximately SEK 8.5 billion had changed hands on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.

Among the major industrial sectors, consumer discretionaries led the gains with a 0.7 percent increase. At the other end of the spectrum, energy lagged behind, falling 5.2 percent.

Among the blue-chip stocks in the OMXS30 index, Nibe B rose 8.6 percent, while Sandvik gained 1.8 percent. Saab B saw the weakest performance, declining 0.4 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 1.4 percent.

Construction firm Skanska landed a contract in the US valued at SEK 1.5 billion. The share price increased by 1.6 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 around the flatline.

Moody's also affirmed hygiene and health company Essity's long-term credit rating of Baa1 and raised its outlook to positive from stable. The stock increased 0.6 percent.

Security firm Securitas is establishing a new business unit, Security Risk Management, to strengthen its position in intelligence-led security. The new unit integrates Pinkerton, Liferaft, and Securitas' existing Risk Intelligence operations under unified leadership. The stock fell 0.2 percent.

Contract manufacturer Note is acquiring British firm 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 employs 300 people. 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 tumbled 5.9 percent.

Biotechnology company Hansa Biopharma has secured USD 30 million in financing, equivalent to nearly SEK 280 million, through 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 1.6 percent.

Real estate company Corem is launching a SEK 150 million share buyback program. The new program follows a previous buyback initiative in which Corem has purchased its own shares for SEK 124 million since December 2025. The stock rose 5.6 percent.

Software company Lime's CEO, Tommas Davoust, has purchased shares for SEK 5.0 million, though the stock fell 1.3 percent.

In a similar vein, engineering group Atlas Copco rose 0.3 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 surged 8.7 percent.

RBC lowered its rating for Boliden to sector perform from outperform. The stock was down 0.1 percent, following a marked decline yesterday.

SB1 Markets initiated coverage of Dustin with a neutral rating. The stock rose 0.2 percent.