French Stocks Hit 5-Month High

2026-07-31 07:45 By Czyrill Jean Coloma 1 min. read

The CAC 40 climbed 1% to 8,572 on Friday, reaching its highest level since late February and putting the index on track for its fourth consecutive monthly gain, as investors welcomed a fresh batch of corporate earnings and business updates.

Engie advanced added 3.8% after reporting strong H1 results and raising its 2026 guidance.

Crédit Agricole jumped 4.5% after beating Q2 expectations.

Saint-Gobain surged 4.7% as the group returned to double-digit sales growth in Q2 and reaffirmed its 2026 outlook.

STMicroelectronics gained 4.2%, tracking strength in global technology stocks amid renewed optimism over artificial intelligence-related spending.

On the economic front, France’s annual inflation rate rose to 2.1% in July from 1.8% in the previous month, reinforcing the case for a more cautious approach to monetary easing by the European Central Bank.

Meanwhile, French producer prices declined 0.6% month-on-month in June, following a revised 0.2% drop in May.



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