The Stockholm Stock Exchange opened Monday in negative territory, tracking the performance of leading European markets. Market focus remains firmly on developments in the Middle East, as rising oil prices once again weigh on equities. In corporate news, Proact has issued a positive profit warning.

Over the weekend, the U.S. seized an Iranian-flagged vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it failed to stop when ordered. The announcement came hours after Trump stated that negotiators would arrive in Pakistan on Monday for new peace talks. Tehran has denied that any new peace talks are scheduled.

As of 09:20, the index was down 0.88 percent at 3,154.23. Shares worth approximately 2.0 billion SEK have changed hands on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.

Among the major industrial sectors, energy performed best with a 4.0 percent gain. At the other end of the spectrum, basic materials lagged, falling 1.3 percent.

Among the blue-chip stocks in the OMXS30 index, Nibe B rose 2.1 percent, while Telia gained 0.7 percent. Boliden saw the weakest performance, dropping 1.9 percent, while Lifco B fell 1.6 percent.

Data storage company Proact signaled that its first-quarter 2026 results will be significantly better than expected. The company's preliminary review of the period's performance indicates an adjusted EBITA of 110-120 million SEK, compared to 79 million SEK in the same quarter last year. This represents an EBITA margin of 9.0-9.5 percent, up from 6.5 percent a year ago. The stock climbed 13.6 percent.

Financial firm Maha Capital intends to evaluate a potential spin-off of its oil and gas operations to shareholders. A split could result in two independent companies with distinct operational focuses, capital allocations, and investor profiles. The stock rose 6.8 percent.

Electronic shelf label company Pricer has signed an agreement with the Canadian grocery chain Sobeys. The deal is estimated to be worth 51 million USD. The stock advanced 24 percent.

Oil company IPC climbed 4.0 percent, supported by rising crude prices.

Board game company Asmodee rose 0.7 percent following a buy recommendation from Dagens Industri, which sees 30 percent potential in the stock.

Atlas Copco retreated 0.7 percent. Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded its rating to buy from neutral.

RBC lowered its rating for SKF to sector perform from outperform. The stock fell 1.4 percent.

Goldman Sachs upgraded its recommendation for Verisure to buy from neutral, while Loomis was downgraded to neutral from buy. Verisure rose 1.0 percent, while Loomis dropped 6.3 percent.

JP Morgan downgraded its rating for Essity to underweight from neutral. The stock shed 1.1 percent.