French Stocks Trade Flat

The CAC 40 traded flat around 8,714 on Monday, hovering near record highs as investors turned cautious amid ongoing uncertainty over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump said Washington was only "semi-negotiating" with Tehran and would wait for economic pressure on Iran to intensify. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied any direct talks with the US and reiterated that the Strait would remain closed until Tehran's demands, including the lifting of the naval blockade are met. The impasse kept concerns over energy supplies, inflationary pressures, and the interest-rate outlook firmly in focus. Luxury stocks outperformed, with LVMH (+1.3%), Hermès (+0.6%), and Kering (+0.5%) leading gains. On the downside, Airbus (-0.4%), Safran (-0.5%), and BNP Paribas (-0.8%) were among the decliners.

The CAC 40 Index is dropping 1 points. Leading the losses are Orange (-1.19%), Edenred (-1.14%) and Publicis (-1.14%). Top gainers were STMicroelectronics (1.96%), LVMH (1.27%) and Hermes International (1.04%).

The CAC 40 edged up 0.2% to close at a record 8,715 on Friday, supported by better-than-expected trade data and gains in US technology stocks. France's trade deficit narrowed more than expected to €5.8 billion in June from €7.9 billion in May, as exports rose 2.6% month-on-month to €54.5 billion. Industrial stocks advanced, with Airbus up 0.5%, Safran adding 0.6%, and Sanofi gaining 1.3%. Technology shares also moved higher, with STMicroelectronics rising 3.2% and Schneider Electric advancing 1% amid sector gains on Wall Street. In contrast, luxury stocks mostly declined, with LVMH down 0.3% and Kering and L'Oréal both falling 1.1% as Middle East tensions weighed on risk appetite. TotalEnergies also slipped 0.6% amid volatile oil prices. Broader sectors were mixed as France's unemployment rate rose to 8.3% in Q2 2026 from 8.1% in the previous quarter, reaching its highest level since Q3 2020.