French Stocks Retreat

2026-05-26 07:37 By Czyrill Jean Coloma 1 min. read

The CAC 40 slipped 0.5% to 8,218 on Tuesday, snapping a two-session winning streak as renewed military action dampened hopes for a US-Iran peace agreement.

The US and Israel carried out targeted strikes in southern Iran, hitting vessels allegedly attempting to lay naval mines and missile launch sites, which Washington described as defensive measures.

On the monetary policy front, European Central Bank Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel said the central bank should proceed with an interest rate hike in June even if tensions in the Middle East ease.

The ECB is expected to raise borrowing costs by 25 basis points on June 11 as soaring energy prices fuel inflationary pressures across the euro area.

Luxury heavyweights paced the decline, with LVMH falling 0.7%, Hermès losing 1.2%, and Kering sliding 1.6%.

Other notable decliners included Safran (-1.5%), Crédit Agricole (-5.6%), and Publicis Groupe (-0.6%).



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