European Equities Mixed in Friday Trading; Apollo Enters Bid for EasyJet

European stock markets closed mixed in Friday trading with the Stoxx600 fractionally higher, Germany's DAX decreasing 0.2%, the FTSE 100 adding 0.2%, and France's CAC roughly unchanged. In economic news, France's consumer price index, or CPI, in June rose 1.8% on year, down from the 2.4% on-year increase logged in May, INSEE reported. Separately, Germany's CPI in June gained 2.3% on year, down from 2.6% on year in May, Destatis reported. In corporate news, Apollo Global Management launched a $7.65 billion bid for London-based airline EasyJet on Friday, modestly outbidding rival financial house Castlelake, Reuters and Given that Apollo Global's buyout bid is about 3.6% higher than Castlelake's existing offer, the EasyJet board said it no longer recommended accepting Castlelake's bid, which it had agreed in principle earlier this week. EasyJet shares surged past 14% in London. Separately, Apollo has agreed to invest 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) for a minority stake in a newly established entity holding Bayer's long-acting reversible contraceptives business, the companies said Friday. Under the deal, Bayer will retain a majority stake and full operational.