Paris stocks ended the session in positive territory on Thursday as demand concentrated in Consumer Goods, Technology and Oil & Gas names pushed benchmark indices higher.
At the close, the CAC 40 advanced 0.35% to reach a new all-time high, while the broader SBF 120 rose 0.32%.
Leading movers on the CAC 40
- Hermes International SCA (EPA:HRMS) topped the CAC 40 list, climbing 5.17% - an 80.00 point gain - to finish at 1,626.00.
- Orange SA (EPA:ORAN) added 2.64%, up 0.42 points to close at 16.32.
- Publicis Groupe SA (EPA:PUBP) advanced 2.18% - a 2.12 point increase - to end the day at 99.28, moving to 52-week highs.
Largest decliners on the CAC 40
- Airbus Group SE (EPA:AIR) fell 1.16% or 2.50 points to 212.45 at the close.
- Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA (EPA:SGOB) slipped 0.96%, losing 0.82 points to finish at 84.72.
- ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) declined 0.93%, down 0.60 points to 63.86.
SBF 120 highlights
- Viridien SA (EPA:VIRI) was the top gainer on the SBF 120, surging 6.99% to 93.40.
- Hermes International SCA (EPA:HRMS) and Orange SA (EPA:ORAN) were also among the SBF 120's leaders, ending at 1,626.00 and 16.32 respectively.
- On the downside, Vusiongroup SA (EPA:VU) retreated 5.04% to 126.30, Valeo SA (EPA:VLOF) lost 3.55% to 14.53, and Forvia (EPA:FRVIA) fell 2.97% to 9.09.
Overall market breadth favored advancing names: rising stocks outnumbered decliners on the Paris exchange by 244 to 221, while 83 issues finished unchanged.
Volatility and notable readings
The CAC 40 VIX, which measures implied volatility for CAC 40 options, was unchanged in percentage terms at 0.00% and stood at 18.96 - a new 52-week high.
Shares in Publicis Groupe SA (EPA:PUBP) specifically reached 52-week highs as noted above, with the stock increasing 2.18% to 99.28.
Commodities and FX
- Gold futures for December delivery fell 0.18% - down 7.65 - to $4,297.55 per troy ounce.
- Crude oil for September delivery rose 3.32%, up $2.50 to $77.72 a barrel.
- The October Brent contract climbed 3.83%, a $3.04 gain, to trade at $82.49 a barrel.
- On currency measures, EUR/USD was effectively unchanged at 1.15 (0.29% listed) and EUR/GBP was listed as unchanged at 0.86 (0.26% listed). The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.30% at 99.85.
Context and market tone
Thursday's session was marked by selective strength across a set of consumer and tech-linked names as well as energy-related stocks, which together helped lift headline indices to modest gains. Market breadth was positive, but some heavyweight industrial and supplier stocks paced the declines for the day. Volatility as measured by the CAC 40 VIX moved to a 52-week high, suggesting that implied option volatility rose even as prices closed higher.
The balance of sector moves and the mixed performances within the SBF 120 show that gains were concentrated rather than broad-based across all market segments.