The CAC 40 Gains Ground as the Automotive Sector Rises

A Cautious Morning Under Monetary Guidance

The backdrop remains dominated by the Fed's tightening, which has raised the fed funds range to 3.75%-4.00%, deeming inflation still « too high. » In the United States, the indices ended mixed on Tuesday evening: the S&P 500 fell 0.45% and the Dow Jones by 1.21%, while the Nasdaq 100 remained almost stable (+0.02%).
In Paris, the atmosphere is calmer. Trading progresses smoothly, with the market leaning clearly towards the positive: 26 CAC 40 stocks are advancing, while 14 are declining. The energy context remains in the background, with European gas near its 2022 peaks and persistent tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Automobile Industry Takes the Lead, Renault at the Forefront

The automotive sector leads the morning's biggest gains. Renault tops the list with a 2.62% increase to 29.01 euros, boosted by positive credit news: Moody's has upgraded the manufacturer's rating to « Baa3 », classifying it as « investment grade » with a stable outlook. Following suit, Stellantis gains 2.09% to 4.42 euros, as the group announced it will present nine concept cars at the Paris Motor Show. Eurofins Scientific rounds out the top three with a 2.17% rise to 76.32 euros. Schneider Electric (+1.38%) and Capgemini (+0.90%) are also among the best performers of the session.

EssilorLuxottica and Dassault Systèmes Struggling

At the other end of the spectrum, EssilorLuxottica is experiencing the largest decline of the morning, down 2% at 142.20 euros. Dassault Systèmes follows closely with a decrease of 1.77% to 20.53 euros, impacted by a recommendation downgrade from BNP Paribas Exane, which changed from « market perform » to « underperform, » with a target reduced to 17 euros. STMicroelectronics falls 1.04% to 42.16 euros. As for Air Liquide, with a slight decline of 0.56% to 165.48 euros, the news mixes research and ratings: the group announced the creation of a research chair on AI and chemistry with ENS, while Bernstein maintains its « outperform » rating, lowering its target from 202 to 192 euros. Finally, Engie is down 0.71% at 23.90 euros, amidst a persistently tense European energy context.