France’s equity benchmark CAC 40 experienced an upward movement on Thursday as investors engaged in stock purchases, driven by a sense of optimism regarding a potential resolution to the conflict in the Middle East. Reports indicate that the U.S. and Iran are contemplating a two-week extension of their ceasefire to facilitate additional negotiations.

The CAC 40 experienced a decline of 38.37 points, reflecting a decrease of 0.46%, standing at 8,312.94 just before 12:30 PM.

• Shares of Dassault Systemes experienced an increase of 2.3%.
• Saint Gobain experienced an increase of nearly 2%, whereas Capgemini, Airbus, and Publicis Groupe saw gains ranging from 1.5% to 1.7%.
• Michelin, Bouygues, Vinci, LVMH, Schneider Electric, Essilor Luxottica, Bureau Veritas, Accor, Eiffage, and Vinci experienced an increase ranging from 0.8% to 1.25%.
• Kering experienced a decline of approximately 2.5% among the underperformers.
• L’Oreal experienced a decline of 1%, whereas ArcelorMittal, Hermes International, TotalEnergies, and Engie saw decreases ranging from 0.3% to 0.7% earlier today.

In economic developments, Eurozone inflation surged beyond initial estimates in March, attaining its highest level since mid-2024, according to final data released by Eurostat. The harmonized index of consumer prices experienced an annual increase of 2.6% in March. This was adjusted upward from the preliminary estimate of 2.5% and came after a 1.9% increase in February.