In the face of ongoing geopolitical tensions and a downturn in commodities, France’s equity index CAC 40 experienced an uptick on Monday, buoyed by data indicating a stronger than anticipated enhancement in the nation’s manufacturing activity for January. Market participants are anticipating the forthcoming monetary policy announcement from the European Central Bank, scheduled for Thursday.

The CAC 40 increased by 29.86 points, representing a rise of 0.37%, reaching 8,156.39 around 12:15 PM, demonstrating a solid recovery from an earlier low of 8,080.66.

• Accor experienced an increase of 1.75%, whereas Eiffage, Orange, AXA, Air Liquide, Pernod Ricard, Capgemini, Vinci, Euronext, and Publicis Groupe saw gains ranging from 0.8% to 1.25%.
• Sanofi experienced a 0.8% increase following the encouraging results of its genetic disorder drug in a late-stage trial.
• L’Oreal, Thales, Hermes International, Unibail Rodamco, Essilor-Luxottica, Bureau Veritas, Engie, and Veolia Environmental experienced upward movement as well.
• Among the notable gainers, Danone experienced an increase of 2.75%, Carrefour saw a rise of 2.3%, and Bouygues advanced by 2.1%.

In economic news, data indicated that France’s HCOB Manufacturing PMI increased to a 43-month high of 51.2 in January 2026, up from 50.7 in December. The reading exceeded the flash estimate of 51.0 by a small margin. In January, the contraction in manufacturing activity within the euro area decelerated, with production experiencing a rebound, according to the final survey results. The final HCOB manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index increased to 49.5 in January, up from a nine-month low of 48.8 recorded in December. The preliminary reading stood at 49.4.