11:44 AM EDT, 10/09/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European stock markets closed higher in Friday trading after US President Donald Trump said there would be no military strikes against Iran before the midterm elections.

The Stoxx Europe rose 1.1%, Germany's DAX gained 1.2%, the FTSE 100 increased 1.1%, France's CAC advanced 1%, and the Swiss Market Index closed 1.1% higher.

In corporate news, Shell said Thursday it halted production at its Mars, Ursa, Olympus, and Vito assets in the Gulf of Mexico while tracking Hurricane Isaias.

Evacuations were also completed at the Appomattox, Mars, Ursa, Olympus and Vito sites, and non-essential workers were previously removed from the Stones facility, the company said.

Meanwhile, BP said Friday it has shut in production and evacuated all personnel from its Na Kika and Thunder Horse platforms in the Gulf of Mexico as it monitors Hurricane Isaias.

The company said it also removed non-essential personnel from its Argos, Atlantis and Mad Dog platforms as a precaution, citing the safety of its workers and operations.

Shares of BP and Shell increased 0.5% each in London.

Equinor has signed an agreement to sell a 30% interest in the Bay du Nord offshore oil project in Canada to Shell, the company said Friday.

Equinor will retain a 70% stake and continue as the project's operator, it said.

The project, located in the Flemish Pass basin about 500 kilometers offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, is designed around a floating production, storage and offloading vessel with subsea tiebacks, Equinor said.

A final investment decision for Bay du Nord is currently targeted for early 2027, subject to market conditions, regulatory approvals and the companies' internal decision processes, the company said.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Shares of the Norwegian petroleum refiner rose 1.8% in Oslo.

Deutsche Bank said Friday it has provided a 430 million Australian dollars ($300.1 million) financing package for Foresight's 130-megawatt Kondinin Wind Farm in Western Australia to power up to 70,000 homes.

The lender is the initial financier and hedge provider to help move the project into construction, the company said.

The funding includes an AU$10 million Debt Service Reserve Facility, an AU$86 million contingent instrument facility, and interest-rate swaps, Deutsche Bank said.

Shares of the German lender gained 1.2% in Frankfurt.

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