Stock Markets February 23, 2026

Paris Stocks Slip at Close as Consumer Services, Industrials and Tech Weigh on CAC 40

CAC 40 ends down 0.22% as select large-caps move in both directions; VIX hits new 52-week high

By Ajmal Hussain CARR MT
Paris Stocks Slip at Close as Consumer Services, Industrials and Tech Weigh on CAC 40
CARR MT

French equity benchmarks finished lower on Monday, with the CAC 40 retreating 0.22% and the SBF 120 falling 0.28%. Gains in a few names including Carrefour and ArcelorMittal were offset by declines in Thales, Pernod Ricard and Airbus. Market breadth favoured decliners and volatility as measured by the CAC 40 VIX reached a fresh 52-week high.

Key Points

  • Headline indexes in Paris finished lower - CAC 40 down 0.22% and SBF 120 down 0.28%.
  • Notable sector pressure came from Consumer Services, Industrials and Technology, with individual large-caps moving in both directions (e.g., Carrefour and ArcelorMittal up; Thales, Pernod Ricard and Airbus down).
  • Volatility rose as the CAC 40 VIX reached a new 52-week high; commodities and FX saw mixed moves.

French equities closed lower on Monday, as weakness in the Consumer Services, Industrials and Technology sectors pressured the main indexes.

At the Paris close, the CAC 40 fell 0.22%, while the broader SBF 120 slipped 0.28%.


Top performers on the CAC 40

  • Carrefour SA (EPA:CARR) led gains on the benchmark, rising 3.63% or 0.56 points to finish at 15.86.
  • ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) added 3.10% or 1.70 points to end at 56.48.
  • Kering SA (EPA:PRTP) climbed 3.06% or 8.50 points to close at 286.50.

Lagging names on the CAC 40

  • Thales (EPA:TCFP) was the session's biggest decliner on the index, down 4.12% or 10.90 points to 253.50 at the close.
  • Pernod Ricard SA (EPA:PERP) retreated 3.50% or 3.04 points to end at 83.80.
  • Airbus Group SE (EPA:AIR) fell 3.48% or 6.60 points to 183.14.

Movers on the SBF 120

  • Eramet SA (EPA:ERMT) was the top gainer on the SBF 120, up 6.57% to 52.20.
  • Soitec SA (EPA:SOIT) rose 6.17% to settle at 39.23.
  • Air France KLM SA (EPA:AIRF) gained 4.53% to close at 13.14.

The weakest performers on the SBF 120 included Atos SE (EPA:ATOS), which tumbled 8.77% to 36.40 in late trade; Forvia (EPA:FRVIA), which lost 7.95% to settle at 12.73; and Remy Cointreau (EPA:RCOP), down 5.19% to 43.50 at the close.


Market breadth and notable highs

Decliners outnumbered advancers on the Paris Stock Exchange, with 296 stocks down versus 203 advancing, and 76 finishing unchanged.

Shares of Carrefour SA (EPA:CARR) reached a 52-week high, advancing 3.63% or 0.56 to 15.86. ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) rose to a 5-year high, increasing 3.10% or 1.70 to 56.48.


Volatility, commodities and energy

The CAC 40 VIX, which tracks the implied volatility of options on the CAC 40, was unchanged at 0.00% and stood at 18.96, a new 52-week high.

In commodities, Gold Futures for April delivery rose 2.94% or 149.20 to $5,230.10 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery fell 0.18% or 0.12 to $66.36 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract declined 0.20% or 0.14 to trade at $71.16 a barrel.


Foreign exchange and dollar index

EUR/USD was unchanged 0.20% at 1.18, while EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.06% at 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.22% at 97.51.


The close on Monday left Paris benchmarks slightly lower overall, with a mix of strong single-stock moves and rising implied volatility influencing the session's tone.

Risks

  • Sector-specific declines may persist in Consumer Services, Industrials and Technology given their role in dragging the benchmark lower, potentially weighing on related stocks and ETFs.
  • Sharp individual declines for several SBF 120 members such as Atos SE and Forvia point to company-level downside risk within the technology and auto-supply spaces, which could affect sector sentiment.
  • Rising implied volatility indicated by the CAC 40 VIX at a 52-week high introduces uncertainty for option pricing and hedging costs across equity portfolios.

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