Following an initial ascent, the French stock market’s benchmark CAC 40 experienced a decline, slipping into negative territory on Friday due to apprehensions regarding growth as the conflict in the Middle East entered its seventh day. Equities experienced an uptick earlier in the session following the US’s decision to grant India a 30-day waiver for the continued purchase of Russian oil, a move intended to stabilize supply in the context of the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The CAC 40, having reached a peak of 8,104.77 earlier in the session, has since declined by 81.19 points, reflecting a decrease of 1.01%, currently standing at 7,964.61.

• Eiffage, STMicroelectronics, and Bouygues have experienced declines of 3.1%, 3%, and 2.8%, respectively.
• Vinci, Orange, and EssilorLuxottica have experienced declines ranging from 2% to 2.5%.
• Air Liquide, Accor, Veolia Environment, Dassault Systemes, Saint Gobain, Sanofi, Michelin, and Engie are experiencing notable declines.
• Thales is experiencing an increase of 1.3%. Safran, Capgemini, Publicis Groupe, TotalEnergie, and BNP Paribas have recorded slight increases in their valuations.

In economic news, data indicated that the number of employed persons in the Euro Area increased by 0.2% from the previous quarter, reaching 172.6 million in the final quarter of 2025. This figure aligns with the preliminary estimate and surpasses initial market expectations of a 0.1% growth. The bloc experienced its 19th consecutive period of employment growth.

The Euro Area economy experienced a year-on-year growth of 1.2% in the fourth quarter of 2025, a revision from the preliminary estimate of 1.3%. The figure indicates the most sluggish annual growth in over a year, down from a 1.4% increase in the preceding quarter.