The CAC 40 Index Closes 0.30% Higher

The CAC 40 Index rose 26 points or 0.30 percent on Friday to close at 8479 points. Leading the gains are Stellantis NV (4.36%), ArcelorMittal (2.32%) and LVMH (2.08%). Top losers were Thales (-1.29%), ENGIE (-1.09%) and TotalEnergies SE (-1.02%).

The CAC 40 rose 0.4% to close at 8,484 on Friday, snapping an eight-session losing streak, supported by gains in luxury stocks. The luxury sector rebounded after sharp losses in the previous session amid geopolitical concerns and persistent worries over Chinese demand. LVMH added 2%, Hermès gained 1.1%, and Kering rose 1%. Meanwhile, eurozone government bond yields stabilized after a week marked by stress across global bond markets, which even intervention by the US Treasury Department appeared unable to fully contain. Financials traded mostly higher, with BNP Paribas rising 1.2%. Pharmaceutical and healthcare stocks also advanced, with Sanofi up 1.4% and EssilorLuxottica adding 1.2%. On the data front, France’s manufacturing business climate indicator improved to 103 in August, beating both market expectations and July’s reading of 101 and reaching its highest level since January. Eurozone consumer confidence also rose 0.4 points in August from July.

The CAC 40 rose 0.2% to 8,467 on Friday, snapping an eight-session losing streak as global bond markets steadied after two days of heightened volatility. Investors turned their attention to a fresh batch of European economic data, including the latest PMI surveys. In France, the flash Composite PMI slipped to 48.8 in August from 49.4 in July, remaining in negative territory. The decline was driven by a deepening contraction in the services sector (48.4 vs 49.6), despite the manufacturing sector returning to growth (51.5 vs 49.8). Meanwhile, France’s manufacturing business climate indicator improved to 103 in August, surpassing both market expectations and July’s reading of 101 and marking its strongest level since January. Notable gainers included BNP Paribas (1.1%), STMicroelectronics (1.7%), and Stellantis NV (1.1%). In contrast, the worst laggards included Thales (-1.4%), Publicis (-1.0%), and Capgemini (-2.2%). For the week, the CAC 40 was still headed for a second weekly loss.