CAC 40: Paris Stock Exchange Closes on a High, Boosted by Consumer Spending

A Paris Session Influenced by the Iranian Issue

Today's atmosphere was largely shaped beyond French borders. Following the American denial of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, claimed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and the gradual implementation of an interim agreement intended to restore traffic in this strategic passage, traders continued to factor in a decrease in the oil risk premium. Brent is now trading around $78.7, and WTI is near $75.3, significantly below the peaks reached at the height of the crisis.

This decline in crude prices has supported sectors sensitive to input costs, starting with the automotive, food, and cosmetics industries, while weighing on oil and oil service companies. In Europe, the movement remained moderate: the STOXX 600 finished almost flat (+0.08%), the FTSE 100 gained 0.31%, while the DAX fell by 0.62%. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones is up by 0.82% during the session, and the S&P 500 by 0.37%, signaling an overall constructive tone. Conversely, Asia suffered, with the Nikkei plummeting 4.39% and the Hang Seng declining 1.50% at the close.

Consumption and Building Materials Lead the Way

Topping the list of gains for the day is Saint-Gobain, which rose by 3.26% to 79.84 euros, in a context where easing energy costs traditionally benefit heavy industries. Danone follows with an increase of 2.84% to 69.54 euros, as the group announced the acquisition of Australia's Made Group and the full takeover of its local joint venture in fresh dairy products, two operations aimed at strengthening its presence in the Asia-Pacific region and its positioning in nutrition.

Luxury and cosmetics also contributed to the trend, with L'Oréal up by 2.83% to 386.65 euros. Michelin gained 2.75% to 33.57 euros, and Pernod Ricard rose by 2.73% to 66.24 euros, rounding out a leading group dominated by consumer brands and industrial suppliers.

Energy, Steel, and Automotive Struggling

In contrast, ArcelorMittal is at the bottom, down 2.90% at 54.22 euros, despite the announcement of a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services to deploy artificial intelligence and cloud technology at its sites in fourteen countries, accompanied by a multi-year agreement to supply Amazon with XCarb low-carbon steel. The stock market operator Euronext is down 1.86% at 142.60 euros.

The energy sector logically acted as a counterbalance to the bullish session: TotalEnergies dropped 1.84% to 69.51 euros, following the decline in Brent crude. Stellantis fell 1.74% to 5.18 euros, and Engie slipped 1.71% to 26.50 euros, rounding out the top five decliners. Overall, the dispersion between the twenty-three gains and the seventeen losses reflects a mixed session, where sector rotation took precedence over a uniform directional movement.