Paris equities ended the trading day in negative territory on Wednesday, with the CAC 40 finishing down 0.71% and the SBF 120 retreating 0.67% as several large-cap names and sector groups weighed on the market.
Across the main index, losses were concentrated in Consumer Goods, Financials and Industrials, contributing to the broader decline. By the close in Paris, more stocks fell than rose: 315 issues declined, 164 advanced and 76 were unchanged on the exchange.
Top gainers and laggards
On the CAC 40, Veolia Environnement VE SA (EPA:VIE) was the session's top performer, adding 2.22% - a rise of 0.76 points to finish at 35.06. Air Liquide SA (EPA:AIRP) rose 1.90% or 3.36 points to close at 179.90, and Carrefour SA (EPA:CARR) advanced 1.46% or 0.23 points to end the session at 15.94.
At the other end of the index, luxury group Kering SA (EPA:PRTP) recorded the largest drop, sliding 4.07% - down 10.35 points to close at 244.05. Stellantis NV (EPA:STLAM) fell 4.04% or 0.27 points to 6.36, and Capgemini SE (EPA:CAPP) declined 3.04% or 3.06 points to finish at 97.74.
Moves on the SBF 120
Within the broader SBF 120, Valeo SA (EPA:VLOF) led gains, surging 18.39% to 16.64. Soitec SA (EPA:SOIT) added 8.27% to settle at 165.70, and X Fab Silicon Foundries EV (EPA:XFAB) rose 4.90% to close at 12.20.
Conversely, Worldline SA (EPA:WLN) fell 6.94% to 0.31, Eutelsat Communications SA (EPA:ETL) slipped 6.70% to 3.26, and investment firm Eurazeo (EPA:EURA) lost 4.96% to end at 44.86.
Notable technical milestones during the session included Valeo reaching a 52-week high, with its shares rising 18.39% or 2.59 to 16.64, while X Fab Silicon Foundries registered an all-time high after a 4.90% gain or 0.57 to close at 12.20.
Volatility, commodities and FX
The CAC 40 VIX, which tracks implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was unchanged at 18.96, marking a 52-week high. Commodity markets showed divergent moves: Gold futures for August delivery fell 1.08% or 48.65 to $4,471.25 a troy ounce. In the oil complex, crude oil for July delivery rose 2.11% or 1.98 to $95.74 a barrel, while the August Brent contract increased 1.84% or 1.77 to trade at $97.77 a barrel.
In foreign exchange trading, EUR/USD was essentially flat at 1.16, recorded as unchanged by 0.24%, and EUR/GBP was reported unchanged at 0.86 with a 0.06% figure. The US Dollar Index Futures finished higher, up 0.27% at 99.46.
Market note
Some individual stock moves were sizeable during the session, reflected in the strong gains for certain SBF 120 components and steep falls among several CAC 40 constituents. Traders and investors tracking specific names and sectors saw a mix of technical highs and pronounced declines within a single trading day.
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