Paris equities finished higher on Thursday, with the CAC 40 edging up 0.34% to reach a new one-month high at the close. The broader SBF 120 also climbed, finishing the session up 0.28%.
Sector performance was led by gains in Utilities, Oil & Gas and Technology, which helped push the headline index higher despite a larger number of stocks falling than rising on the exchange.
Top movers on the CAC 40
- Capgemini SE (EPA:CAPP) outperformed the index, rising 2.10% - equivalent to a 2.60-point gain - to close at 126.55.
- TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTEF) added 1.59%, or 1.26 points, to finish at 80.63.
- Sanofi SA (EPA:SASY) was up 1.58%, or 1.37 points, closing at 87.98.
Lagging names
- Stellantis NV (EPA:STLAM) was the weakest large-cap, sliding 4.36% - a 0.16-point drop - to end the session at 3.55. The stock moved to a five-year low in the session.
- Renault SA (EPA:RENA) fell 3.68%, or 1.08 points, to close at 28.23.
- EssilorLuxottica SA (EPA:ESLX) declined 1.45%, a fall of 2.65 points, to finish at 179.90.
The SBF 120's best performers included Solutions 30 SE (EPA:S30), which gained 3.19% to 0.55, Vusiongroup SA (EPA:VU) which rose 2.18% to settle at 150.00, and Viridien SA (EPA:VIRI) which advanced 2.17% to close at 94.15. On the downside, Eramet SA (EPA:ERMT) lost 4.26% to settle at 36.84, joining Stellantis and Renault among the biggest decliners on the index.
Market breadth on the Paris bourse was tilted toward decliners: 251 stocks fell versus 217 that advanced, while 69 issues finished unchanged.
Volatility and commodities
The CAC 40 VIX, which measures the implied volatility priced into options on the CAC 40, was unchanged on the day at 18.96, a new 52-week high.
In commodities, December Gold futures were lower, down 3.01% or 120.25 to $3,880.25 a troy ounce. Crude oil for December delivery rose 0.54%, or $0.47, to $87.00 a barrel. The January Brent contract climbed 1.23% - $1.14 - to trade at $93.90 a barrel.
Currencies and dollar
Major FX pairs moved modestly. EUR/USD was reported unchanged at 1.11 (a 0.28% move as reported), while EUR/GBP was effectively unchanged at 0.84 (0.04%). The US Dollar Index futures were higher by 0.23% at 103.05.
Overall, the session closed with the main French index at a one-month peak amid sector-led gains, even as a number of individual names posted steep declines and volatility on the CAC 40 options curve remained elevated at a yearly high.