Paris CAC 40 Falls Below 8,160 Points, Dragged Down by Thales, Hermès, and BNP Paribas

A Morning of Consolidation Across European Markets

The mood is consistently heavy across major European markets. The German DAX is down 0.66%, the STOXX 600 drops 0.51%, and the FTSE 100 contains losses at -0.20%. Across the Atlantic, U.S. benchmarks also present a negative image, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq declining by 0.38% and 0.13%, respectively, at the latest available close. In Asia, the Hang Seng ended down 0.87%, and the Nikkei 225 fell 0.19%. This global market synchronization is lending the Paris session a tone of consolidation, following two months dominated by fluctuations related to the war in the Middle East and changes in oil prices. Brent has again fallen below the 100-dollar mark since yesterday.

With 32 CAC 40 stocks in the red compared to 8 in the green and none unchanged, the session does not project any dominant sectoral theme: the decline affects luxury, defense, banking, and business services alike.

Stellantis, Schneider, and Engie Navigate a Gloomy Market

Within the limited group of gainers, Stellantis leads with a 0.84% increase to 6.46 euros. The automaker announced this week the appointment of Roberta Zerbi to head customer journey excellence for extended Europe, and the opening of its first vehicle dismantling center in Africa, located in Casablanca, as part of its circular economy strategy.

Schneider Electric rises by 0.60% to 276.85 euros, followed by Engie (+0.52% to 27 euros). The energy company continues to benefit from the echo of its Thursday quarterly report, showing a 9.5% drop in revenue for the first quarter but confirming its 2026 outlook, and from the early completion of the acquisition of UK Power Networks. Orange (+0.40%) and TotalEnergies (+0.37% to 75.55 euros) round out this defensive group, in an energy context marked by the recent decline in Brent.

Thales, Hermès, and BNP Paribas Lead the Decline

On the downside, the defense sector takes the hardest hit. Thales drops by 2.03% to 231.10 euros, marking the largest decline in the index. The defense electronics group is directly affected by the de-escalation climate that has prevailed since the beginning of the month around the USA-Iran situation, with the suspension of the US military operation in the Strait of Hormuz and the announcement of talks towards a memorandum of understanding. This geopolitical backdrop mechanically reduces the risk premium that had been imposed on the sector.

Luxury is also under pressure, with Hermès International falling 1.79% to 1,671.50 euros. Financials follow suit, with BNP Paribas down by 1.62% to 91.73 euros. Renault slips by 1.49% to 28.51 euros, while Bureau Veritas loses 1.40% to 25.99 euros. This broad movement, affecting defense, luxury, banking, and services alike, highlights a session of widespread profit-taking rather than a targeted sector shock.