The CAC 40 Index Closes 0.58% Higher

The CAC 40 rose 0.6% to close at 7,783 on Wednesday, rebounding from the previous session’s losses, supported by gains in luxury and industrial stocks. Luxury shares recovered after falling in the previous session amid weak results from LVMH, which cited softer Chinese demand. Hermes rose 0.9%, LVMH added 1.4%, and Kering gained 1.5%. The rebound followed Chinese foreign trade data showing that imports climbed 31% year-on-year to a record high in September, supported by seasonal restocking ahead of the major October Golden Week holiday. In the industrial sector, defense-related stocks led gains amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, with Airbus rising 2% and Thales gaining 1.8%. Meanwhile, ECB President Christine Lagarde played down speculation about intervention in France’s budget crisis, saying that solutions to the country’s precarious fiscal situation would need to come from domestic policymakers. Financial stocks closed lower.

The CAC 40 Index gained 45 points or 0.58 percent on Wednesday to close at 7873 points. Gains were led by Danone (2.62%), L'Oréal (2.23%) and Thales (2.04%). Biggest losers were Renault (-2.88%), Stellantis NV (-1.97%) and STMicroelectronics (-1.71%).

The CAC 40 rose 0.4% to 7,858 on Wednesday, rebounding from the previous session to reach a one-week high as investors drew support from dovish signals from the Federal Reserve ahead of key US inflation data. New York Fed President John Williams said one further rate hike may be warranted this year but signaled no need for additional increases in 2027, while emphasizing that the Fed should focus on “underlying trends” in inflation amid price shocks linked to energy and AI. In Europe, attention will turn to speeches by ECB officials, particularly President Christine Lagarde, alongside Elderson, Buch and Schnabel. On the corporate front, STMicroelectronics climbed 1.6%, tracking a broader tech-sector rally after ASML beat earnings and revenue forecasts and issued an upbeat Q4 sales outlook. Luxury stocks also advanced, including LVMH (1.9%), Hermès (2.3%) and Kering (1.5%), shrugging off LVMH's recent report of weaker organic sales growth amid subdued demand in China.