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European stocks were little changed on Monday, holding close to record territory as investors weighed a strong earnings season against another rise in oil prices and an unsettled outlook for the Strait of Hormuz. The STOXX Europe 600 traded around 660.1 in early dealings after closing at a record 660.25 on Friday and gaining 1.7% last week.

Estimates for European blue-chip companies' second-quarter earnings have risen further, with profit growth ​now expected at 20.8% from a year ‌earlier, although much of the increase is being driven by the energy sector, LSEG I/B/E/S data ​showed on Thursday.

The European Central Bank kept borrowing costs unchanged, with the deposit rate remaining at 2.25%. This buys the central bank time to wait for data to judge whether price pressures caused by the Iran war require additional fiscal tightening.

The European Central Bank kept borrowing costs on hold on Thursday but left room ​for more tightening in the coming months as ‌a widening conflict in the Middle East pushed up energy prices again.

The latest flare-up in fighting probably won't force the European Central Bank's hand on Thursday, even as energy costs creep higher.