The CAC 40 Index Closes 0.14% Lower

The CAC 40 fell 0.5% to close at 8,581 on Friday, just below recent record levels while still securing a monthly gain of 5.8% for February, as investors weighed a mix of corporate earnings and cooling French economic data. The local economy grew only 0.2% in the final quarter of 2025, which was the slowest pace in three quarters. Inflation accelerated to 1% in February, while producer prices fell 2.3% in January. Schneider Electric rose 1.7% and Sanofi gained 1.5% following positive sentiment, while AXA added 1.4%. In contrast, EssilorLuxottica tumbled 5.4% and Airbus dropped 1.2%. LVMH also struggled with a 1% decline as luxury names faced pressure. Meanwhile, a third round of negotiations in Geneva concluded Thursday without a major step forward to ease tensions or prevent potential US military action.

The CAC 40 Index decreased -12 points or 0.14 percent on Friday to close at 8609 points. The decline was led by Essilor (-5.41%), TP (-3.86%) and Societe Generale (-1.70%). On the upside, the strongest performers were Pernod Ricard (3.18%), Stellantis NV (2.23%) and Capgemini (2.01%).

The CAC 40 rose 0.2% to around 8,638 on Friday, hovering near a record high and on track for its strongest-ever monthly performance in February, as investors tracked AI developments and US–Iran nuclear talks. A third round of negotiations in Geneva concluded Thursday without a major step forward to ease tensions or prevent potential US military action. Market attention also turned to a fresh wave of European economic data. In France, the economy expanded 0.2% quarter-on-quarter in Q4 2025, slowing from 0.5% in Q3 and marking the softest growth in three quarters. Annual consumer inflation accelerated to 1% in February from 0.3%, while annual producer prices fell 2.3% in January, the sharpest decline since December 2024. Standout performers included Schneider Electric (+1%), Sanofi (+1.1%), and AXA (+0.7%). In contrast, LVMH (-1%), Airbus (-1.1%), and EssilorLuxottica (-1.1%) were among the main decliners.