The CAC 40 Index Closes 0.46% Lower

The CAC 40 Index decreased 40 points or 0.46 percent on Wednesday to close at 8675 points. The decline was led by Essilor (-4.56%), Kering (-3.93%) and Capgemini (-3.52%). On the upside, the strongest performers were Schneider Electric (1.42%), Legrand (1.23%) and Thales (1.19%).

The CAC 40 fell 0.5% to close at 8,675 on Wednesday, extending losses from the previous session as luxury stocks weighed heavily on the index. The sector was pressured by a slowdown in global demand, with weaker Chinese consumer spending continuing to cloud the industry's outlook. A recent Kearney study forecasts that luxury spending per capita in China will fall by around 4% in 2026. LVMH shed 2.9%, L’Oréal lost 0.8%, Hermès fell 2.5%, and Kering retreated 3.8%. Meanwhile, Iran and the US remained at odds over efforts to reach a permanent end to the conflict in the Gulf. Iranian officials said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June or establish a timeline for its implementation. The comments further dampened hopes of a swift resolution, while attacks on regional shipping on Tuesday pushed oil prices higher. Industrials traded mixed, with Essilor down 4.3% and Air Liquide losing 0.8%, while defense stocks gained, led by a 1.5% rise in Thales.

The CAC 40 fell 0.3% to 8,692.7 on Wednesday, extending losses from the previous session as investors remained cautious amid mounting uncertainty over the swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Concerns about supply disruptions lingered despite comments from Pakistan’s defense minister that the US and Iran were “close to some sort of arrangement” regarding the strategic waterway, while reports also pointed to meaningful progress in talks between Tehran and Oman. Luxury stocks weighed heavily on the index, with LVMH falling 1.8%, Hermès losing 1.6%, and Kering dropping 2.4%. The sector remained under pressure as a prolonged slowdown in global luxury demand complicated succession planning at Armani Group, where the proposed sale of an initial 15% stake could reportedly be pushed back beyond March 2027. In contrast, STMicroelectronics added 0.6%, benefiting from strength across global tech markets.