CAC 40: Oil shock weighs on midday session, electric sector tumbles ahead of Fed

A Session Under Dual Pressures

The atmosphere is tense on the Paris stock exchange. Tensions in the Middle East are dominating the mood: new Houthi attacks on Saudi targets and the shutdown of the East-West pipeline have pushed Brent crude oil to its highest level of the year, rekindling fears of a prolonged energy shock for a Europe that is about 97% dependent on imported oil.
Adding to this backdrop is the start of a « super monetary week. » The Federal Reserve meets on Wednesday, the Bank of England on Thursday, and the Bank of Japan on Friday. With U.S. inflation holding at 3.4% year-on-year in August, the money markets are widely expecting a Fed rate hike. This is enough to make investors cautious.
The dispersion reflects this hesitation: 21 CAC 40 stocks are advancing while 19 are declining, with no clear trend. In other European markets, the DAX is down 0.51% and the STOXX 600 is down 0.23% during the session, while the FTSE 100 is up 0.77%. Last Friday evening on Wall Street, the S&P 500 closed up 0.86%, the Dow Jones rose by 0.98%, and the Nasdaq 100 increased by 0.91%.

Capgemini and Tech Drive the Index Upward

Leading the gains, Capgemini leaps by 5.73% to 108.80 euros. The digital services group has signed an agreement to sell its American federal subsidiary to ITC Federal, a move that is part of a divestment process initiated in early 2026. CIC Market Solutions maintains its buy recommendation, with an unchanged price target of 170 euros.
Technology sets the tone with Dassault Systèmes, rising 3.95% to 21.04 euros. The luxury and consumer sectors are also performing well: Pernod Ricard gains 3.57% to 61.54 euros, and Publicis Groupe advances by 3.41% to 100.10 euros. Eurofins Scientific rounds out this leading group with an increase of 3.06%.

Electric Stocks and Semiconductors Tumble

The decline is concentrated in a few heavy sectors. STMicroelectronics falls by 6.60% to 41.73 euros, despite announcing the launch of its VD56GA infrared sensor intended for automotive interiors. The semiconductor manufacturer marks the largest decline in the index.
Electrical equipment manufacturers are also taking a hit: Schneider Electric drops by 5.77% to 274.30 euros, and Legrand falls by 5.75% to 133.70 euros. These two heavyweights of the CAC 40 are having a significant impact on mid-session trends.
Further down the list of declines, ArcelorMittal loses 2.70% to 62.62 euros, and Safran drops 2.54% to 321.80 euros. This decline reflects the cautious stance of the Paris market, which is waiting for upcoming monetary decisions and developments on the energy front.