Paris shares ended the trading session lower on Wednesday, with losses in the Technology, Consumer Goods and Financials sectors contributing to a modest decline across the market. At the close, the CAC 40 fell 0.18%, while the SBF 120 dropped 0.22%.
Among individual movers on the CAC 40, ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) finished at 55.24, up 4.70% or 2.48 points. Orange SA (EPA:ORAN) added 4.31% or 0.71 points to close at 17.17, and Schneider Electric SE (EPA:SCHN) rose 3.50% or 9.00 points, ending the day at 266.35.
On the downside, Dassault Systemes SE (EPA:DAST) recorded the steepest decline on the index, tumbling 20.81% or 4.67 points to settle at 17.77. Publicis Groupe SA (EPA:PUBP) lost 8.69% or 6.94 points to finish at 72.88, while Capgemini SE (EPA:CAPP) declined 8.19% or 9.30 points, closing at 104.30.
Turning to the SBF 120, the session's strongest performers included Soitec SA (EPA:SOIT), which jumped 12.36% to 39.10. ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) also featured among the top advancers on the broader index, up 4.70% to 55.24, and Aperam SA (AS:APAM) rose 4.40% to close at 44.64.
The weakest names on the SBF 120 mirrored trends on the CAC 40. Dassault Systemes SE (EPA:DAST) was the largest laggard, down 20.81% to 17.77 in late trade. Ubisoft Entertainment (EPA:UBIP) declined 10.51% to 4.17, and Publicis Groupe SA (EPA:PUBP) fell 8.69% to end at 72.88.
Market breadth in Paris favored falling stocks, with decliners outnumbering advancers by 297 to 182; 87 stocks finished unchanged. Several individual equity moves were notable for their multi-year extremes. Shares of ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) rose to 5-year highs after advancing 4.70% or 2.48 to 55.24. Conversely, Dassault Systemes SE (EPA:DAST) fell to 5-year lows, dropping 20.81% or 4.67 to 17.77. Orange SA (EPA:ORAN) climbed to five-year highs as it gained 4.31% or 0.71 to reach 17.17.
Other equity extremes recorded during the session included Publicis Groupe SA (EPA:PUBP), which slid to 52-week lows after losing 8.69% or 6.94 to 72.88, and Schneider Electric SE (EPA:SCHN), which rose to 52-week highs following a 3.50% or 9.00-point gain to 266.35. Capgemini SE (EPA:CAPP) also hit 5-year lows as it decreased 8.19% or 9.30 to 104.30. Aperam SA (AS:APAM) moved up to 3-year highs on a 4.40% or 1.88 increase to 44.64.
Volatility measures reflected heightened option-implied uncertainty. The CAC 40 VIX was unchanged on the session at 18.96, marking a new 52-week high for the index.
Commodities saw broad gains on the day. Gold futures for April delivery rose 1.35% or 68.11 to $5,099.11 a troy ounce. In the energy complex, crude oil for March delivery increased 1.61% or 1.03 to $64.99 a barrel, while the April Brent contract added 1.48% or 1.02 to trade at $69.82 a barrel.
In foreign exchange markets, the euro was stable against major peers. EUR/USD was essentially unchanged, moving 0.08% to 1.19, while EUR/GBP also showed little change at 0.87, up 0.14%. The US Dollar Index Futures ticked up 0.01% to 96.68.
Summary of session dynamics:
- Major Paris indexes closed lower with the CAC 40 down 0.18% and the SBF 120 down 0.22%.
- Winners included industrial and materials names like ArcelorMittal, and utilities/telecoms such as Orange; technology and communications names were among the weakest.
- Volatility as measured by the CAC 40 VIX reached a new 52-week high at 18.96.
This roundup reflects market prices and moves reported at the close in Paris and the trading of related futures and FX instruments in the same session.