Viridien shares, worst performer on the SBF 120, decline against the market trend
The geoscience specialist posts the weakest performance on the broader index this Friday, while the CAC 40 and SBF 120 advance slightly. Brent crude, which had surged the previous day following a Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia, is retreating and directly weighing on a stock whose cycle is closely linked to oil prices.
SBF 120 laggard at odds with a rising Paris market
Viridien loses 3.07% to €94.80 during the session, in an SBF 120 gaining 0.37% at the same time. Brent crude slips 1.63% to $104.86 per barrel this Friday, after closing at $106.60 on Thursday following the ballistic missile attack carried out by the Houthis against the Taif and Yanbu regions in Saudi Arabia. This decline in crude oil, a direct reflection of the pullback in geopolitical risk premium, is sufficient to explain the inverse movement in the share, whose price has repeatedly shown over the course of the month that it closely follows oil price fluctuations. Over the past thirty days, the share nevertheless remains up 10.88%, evidence that the underlying momentum remains well-oriented, even if this Friday it stands alone in decline within an index globally in positive territory.
Net short positions in marked progression weighing on selling pressure
The analysts' views on the share remain closely watched, in a context where net short positions constitute a signal not to be ignored. According to declarations reviewed, nine funds account for 8.39% of capital sold short, up 1.51 percentage points over one month (versus 6.88% thirty days ago). This level, among the highest on the Paris exchange, indicates that a significant fraction of institutional investors remains positioned against the stock or is covering existing exposure, without it being possible to determine their precise motivations. The increase of one and a half percentage points over one month is notable and warrants monitoring, even if it does not necessarily reflect an acceleration of the broader downward structural movement.
From a technical standpoint, the share holds above its first two moving averages (20-day MA at €90.75 and 50-day MA at €88.90), but remains 12.25% below its 200-day MA at €108.04. The RSI at 62 signals no extreme conditions for the time being. Resistance at €99.40 remains the next barrier to clear in order to confirm a recovery towards the long-term average.
