Stock Markets February 13, 2026

Paris Stocks Slip as Financials, Consumer Goods and Utilities Weigh on CAC 40

CAC 40 and SBF 120 finish lower amid sector losses; Safran posts strong gains while several banks retreat

By Marcus Reed
Paris Stocks Slip as Financials, Consumer Goods and Utilities Weigh on CAC 40

Paris equities closed lower Friday, driven by declines in the Financials, Consumer Goods and Utilities sectors. The CAC 40 fell 0.35% and the SBF 120 slipped 0.30%. Safran led gains on both indices, while Societe Generale and L'Oreal were among the heaviest decliners. Market breadth favored losers and volatility measures reached a 52-week high.

Key Points

  • CAC 40 closed down 0.35% and the SBF 120 fell 0.30%, with losses concentrated in Financials, Consumer Goods and Utilities.
  • Safran SA (EPA:SAF) led gains on both the CAC 40 and SBF 120, reaching all-time highs at 332.80, while Societe Generale SA (EPA:SOGN) and L'Oreal SA (EPA:OREP) were among the biggest decliners.
  • Market breadth favored decliners (263) over advancers (214), and the CAC 40 VIX reached a 52-week high at 18.96, indicating elevated implied volatility.

France's main equity gauges closed with losses on Friday as weakness in the Financials, Consumer Goods and Utilities sectors pushed headline indexes lower.

At the end of trading in Paris, the CAC 40 was down 0.35%, while the broader SBF 120 retreated 0.30%.

Top performers

On the CAC 40, Safran SA (EPA:SAF) posted the session's strongest advance, jumping 8.30% or 25.50 points to finish at 332.80. Capgemini SE (EPA:CAPP) also outperformed, rising 5.12% or 5.11 points to close at 104.85, and Eurofins Scientific SE (EPA:EUFI) gained 2.25% or 1.44 points to end the day at 65.46.

Laggards

Among the heaviest decliners were Societe Generale SA (EPA:SOGN), which fell 5.42% or 3.82 points to 66.70 at the close, and L'Oreal SA (EPA:OREP), down 4.93% or 19.30 points to finish at 372.35. BNP Paribas SA (EPA:BNPP) lost 2.39% or 2.19 points to settle at 89.40.

SBF 120 movers

On the SBF 120, Ubisoft Entertainment (EPA:UBIP) led gains with a 12.38% rise to 4.62. Safran SA (EPA:SAF) again featured among the best performers, up 8.30% to close at 332.80, and Eutelsat Communications SA (EPA:ETL) climbed 5.16% to 2.24.

The weakest stocks on the SBF 120 included Television Francaise 1 SA (EPA:TFFP), which declined 7.80% to 7.33, Societe Generale SA (EPA:SOGN), which lost 5.42% to 66.70, and Ayvens SA (EPA:AYV), down 5.05% to 10.35 at the close.

Market breadth

On the Paris Stock Exchange, decliners outnumbered advancers by 263 to 214, while 83 issues finished unchanged. Notable extremes from the session: shares of Safran SA (EPA:SAF) rose to all-time highs, gaining 8.30% or 25.50 to 332.80. Conversely, Television Francaise 1 SA (EPA:TFFP) fell to 52-week lows, dropping 7.80% or 0.62 to 7.33.

Volatility and commodities

The CAC 40 VIX, which tracks implied volatility for CAC 40 options, was unchanged on the day at 18.96, marking a new 52-week high.

In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery rose 1.75% or 86.41 to $5,034.81 a troy ounce. Crude oil for March delivery slipped 0.11% or 0.07 to $62.77 a barrel, while the April Brent contract gained 0.13% or 0.09 to trade at $67.61 a barrel.

FX and dollar

Among currency pairs, EUR/USD was essentially unchanged, moving 0.02% to 1.19, while EUR/GBP was flat at a 0.13% change to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures eased 0.05% to 96.79.

Investment product note included in the session coverage

The session's market summary also included a promotional note regarding an AI-powered stock selection product. It stated that, year to date, two out of three global portfolios offered by the product were beating their benchmark indexes, with 88% of portfolios in the green. The communication cited its flagship Tech Titans strategy as having doubled the S&P 500 within 18 months and named Super Micro Computer and AppLovin as notable winners, with respective gains of +185% and +157%.


This report reflects the closing prices and market data for the Paris trading session on the referenced Friday.

Risks

  • Broader market weakness concentrated in Financials suggests continued downside risk for bank stocks and related financial services.
  • Rising implied volatility - CAC 40 VIX at a 52-week high - signals greater uncertainty for equity option pricing and potential short-term market swings.
  • Individual equity risk highlighted by Television Francaise 1 SA (EPA:TFFP) falling to a 52-week low, underscoring company-specific downside for certain media and consumer-related names.

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