French Stocks Cautiously Higher

2026-02-17 09:09 By Joshua Ferrer 1 min. read

The CAC 40 index edged up 0.1% around 8,310 on Tuesday, extending gains from the previous session, as investors weighed geopolitical and trade developments for market direction.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s three-day visit to Mumbai, featuring discussions on defense, AI collaboration, and trade with India, supported sentiment, particularly for French industrial and luxury exporters.

LVMH and Hermes led the charge, up more than 1.2% each, while banking stocks such as BNP Paribas and Societe Generale added 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively.

Software company Capgemini also jumps 1.5% amid broader gains for software stocks.

Elsewhere, attention turns to the Middle East, where hopes of de-escalation rose ahead of US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva.

The aerospace and defense sectors declined, led by Thales and Dassault Aviation, down over 2% each.

Markets now await final readings for inflation data this week to gauge the country’s economic health.



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