Paris stocks ended the trading session in positive territory on Wednesday, driven by strength in the Consumer Goods, Industrials and Healthcare sectors. The CAC 40 advanced 0.79% at the close, while the broader SBF 120 added 0.85%.
Among CAC 40 components, ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) was the day’s top performer, rising 5.00% or 2.52 points to finish at 52.90. Stellantis NV (EPA:STLAM) recorded a 4.91% gain, adding 0.30 points to end at 6.50, and Accor SA (EPA:ACCP) rose 4.31% or 1.88 points to close at 45.45.
On the downside, Pernod Ricard SA (EPA:PERP) lost 3.04% or 2.28 points to trade at 72.64 at the close. TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTEF) slipped 1.82% or 1.24 points to finish at 66.86, and Bouygues SA (EPA:BOUY) declined 1.53% or 0.78 points to end at 50.22.
The SBF 120’s leaderboard was led by Valneva (EPA:VLS), which climbed 7.43% to 4.69, and Nexans SA (EPA:NEXS), which rose 6.77% to settle at 124.60. ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) also featured among the SBF 120 top performers with its 5.00% gain to 52.90.
Among the SBF 120 laggards, Euroapi SAS (EPA:EAPI) fell sharply, down 27.02% to 1.43 in late trade. Eutelsat Communications SA (EPA:ETL) lost 6.15% to close at 2.06, and SES (EPA:SESFd) dropped 5.30% to finish at 6.25.
Market breadth on the Paris exchange was tilted toward advancers: 306 stocks rose, 180 declined and 73 finished unchanged. Euroapi SAS (EPA:EAPI) hit a new all-time low in the session, sliding 27.02% or 0.53 to 1.43.
Volatility and commodities provided additional context for the session. The CAC 40 VIX index, which measures the implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was unchanged at 18.96 and marked a new 52-week high.
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery rose 0.73% or 37.61 to $5,161.31 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery fell 0.31% or 0.23 to $74.33 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract declined 0.23% or 0.19 to trade at $81.21 a barrel.
Currency moves were modest: EUR/USD was unchanged 0.25% at 1.16, and EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.20% at 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures declined 0.27% to 98.74.
Portfolio and product commentary from market services was also present in the session summary. A highlighted investment service reported its AI-driven portfolios and performance metrics, noting that, year to date, two out of three global portfolios are beating their benchmarks and that 88% of portfolios are in the green. The same note referenced the firm’s flagship strategy, which it said doubled the S&P 500 within 18 months and cited past winners such as Super Micro Computer and AppLovin with stated returns. The commentary posed a question about selecting the next high-performing stock.
Overall, Paris equities closed higher with gains concentrated in consumer goods, industrials and healthcare stocks, while individual large declines among certain smaller-cap and communications names weighed on the SBF 120.