France's main share indexes finished higher on Wednesday, with the CAC 40 rallying to a record close and the broader SBF 120 also advancing.
At the Paris close, the CAC 40 rose 0.81% to reach a new all-time high, while the SBF 120 gained 0.78%.
The session was led by advances in the Technology, Industrials and Financials sectors, which underpinned the overall market move higher.
Top performers on the CAC 40
- Thales (EPA:TCFP) climbed 4.26%, adding 10.60 points to finish at 259.50.
- ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) increased 4.21%, up 2.26 points to close at 55.94.
- STMicroelectronics NV (EPA:STMPA) rose 3.84%, or 1.07 points, to 28.78.
Heavier names on the day
- Carrefour SA (EPA:CARR) was the weakest on the CAC 40, down 4.84% or 0.75 points to 14.65 at the close.
- Pernod Ricard SA (EPA:PERP) fell 3.61%, losing 3.06 points to end the session at 81.70.
- EssilorLuxottica SA (EPA:ESLX) declined 2.88%, or 7.00 points, to 236.10.
SBF 120 movers
- Derichebourg (EPA:DBG) led gains on the SBF 120, jumping 9.71% to 9.27.
- X Fab Silicon Foundries EV (EPA:XFAB) rose 5.52% to settle at 4.66.
- Ayvens SA (EPA:AYV) added 4.38% to close at 10.97.
- Vusiongroup SA (EPA:VU) was the weakest in the SBF 120, down 11.98% to 115.30 in late trade.
- Verallia (EPA:VRLA) lost 5.73% to settle at 21.06.
- Carrefour SA (EPA:CARR) also appears among the SBF 120 laggards, down 4.84% to 14.65.
Market breadth on the Paris exchange showed 248 rising issues versus 227 decliners, with 100 stocks finishing unchanged.
Several individual stocks moved to notable price extremes during the session. Shares of ArcelorMittal SA rose to five-year highs, closing up 4.21% or 2.26 at 55.94. Derichebourg advanced to three-year highs, rising 9.71% or 0.82 to 9.27. On the downside, Vusiongroup SA fell to 52-week lows, sliding 11.98% or 15.70 to 115.30, while Verallia dropped to three-year lows, down 5.73% or 1.28 to 21.06.
The CAC 40 VIX, which measures implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was unchanged at 18.96 and recorded a new 52-week high.
Commodities and currencies
Gold Futures for April delivery rose 2.35%, gaining 115.51 to trade at 5,021.41 a troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for April delivery increased 3.55%, or 2.21, to $64.47 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract climbed 3.35%, gaining 2.26 to trade at $69.68 a barrel.
On the foreign exchange front, EUR/USD was unchanged at 1.18, recording a move of 0.37%, and EUR/GBP was essentially flat at 0.87, with a change of 0.14%. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.39% to 97.43.
This session combined broad gains across several sectors with notable idiosyncratic moves at the company level, while volatility metrics and commodity prices also registered higher readings.