French Stocks Open the Week Higher

2026-04-07 07:56 By Czyrill Jean Coloma 1 min. read

The CAC 40 rose 0.4% to 7,994 on Tuesday, extending gains from the previous week as investors returned from the Easter break.

Attention remained focused on the prolonged Middle East war, with uncertainty persisting amid conflicting signals on prospects for de-escalation.

President Donald Trump threatened strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges unless Tehran complied with US demands, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m.

Eastern Time on Tuesday.

However, he also said that talks with Iran were “going well,” emphasizing that reopening the strait remained “a very big priority.” Domestically, final estimates showed that the composite PMI fell to 48.8 in March 2026, as the manufacturing PMI slipped to 50 while the services PMI dropped to 48.8.

Financial stocks were among the best performers, with BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, and Société Générale adding between 0.5% and 1%.

Other notable gainers included Saint-Gobain (1.5%), STMicroelectronics (3.9%), and Publicis (1.7%).



News Stream
CAC 40 Reverses Gains, Closes Lower
The CAC 40 reversed early momentum to close 0.7% lower at 7,909 on Tuesday as heightened geopolitical tensions and cooling domestic economic data overshadowed earlier gains. Investor sentiment soured after President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against Iran, warning that a whole civilization could die tonight while reaffirming an 8 p.m. deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This ominous stance countered his previous remarks that negotiations were going well, leaving markets to price in a higher probability of military strikes on Iranian infrastructure. On the domestic front, final estimates confirmed a contraction in private sector activity as the composite PMI fell to 48.8, driven by a slump in the services sector and a stagnant manufacturing reading of 50. Luxury giants led the decline with L'Oréal tumbling 2.1% and Kering falling 2.8%, while heavyweights LVMH and Hermes each retreated more than 0.9%. In contrast, STMicroelectronics bucked the trend with a 4.2% gain.
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French Stocks Open the Week Higher
The CAC 40 rose 0.4% to 7,994 on Tuesday, extending gains from the previous week as investors returned from the Easter break. Attention remained focused on the prolonged Middle East war, with uncertainty persisting amid conflicting signals on prospects for de-escalation. President Donald Trump threatened strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges unless Tehran complied with US demands, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday. However, he also said that talks with Iran were “going well,” emphasizing that reopening the strait remained “a very big priority.” Domestically, final estimates showed that the composite PMI fell to 48.8 in March 2026, as the manufacturing PMI slipped to 50 while the services PMI dropped to 48.8. Financial stocks were among the best performers, with BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, and Société Générale adding between 0.5% and 1%. Other notable gainers included Saint-Gobain (1.5%), STMicroelectronics (3.9%), and Publicis (1.7%).
2026-04-07