Following an optimistic start, the French stock market retraced its gains and entered negative territory on Wednesday, as sentiment shifted to a more cautious stance amid uncertainties surrounding new U.S.-Iran peace negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he would prolong the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely until Tehran presents a comprehensive proposal and negotiations are finalized. The benchmark CAC 40 declined to 8,190.49, reflecting a decrease of 29.62 points or 0.36% from 8,206.10, approximately thirty minutes after noon.

Bureau Veritas experienced a decline exceeding 12%. The company’s organic revenue experienced a growth of 4.5% in the first quarter of 2026, primarily driven by the Marine & Offshore and Buildings & Infrastructure segments. However, total revenue saw a decline of 0.8% year-on-year, attributed to adverse currency fluctuations. The revised guidance for 2026 now aims for mid-single-digit organic growth, which takes into account the impact of contract terminations in Government Services.

• Eurofins Scientific experienced a decline of approximately 10.2%. The company disclosed first-quarter revenue of 1.789 billion euros, reflecting a 1.3% increase relative to the initial three months of 2025. Organic growth registered at 2.6%, factoring in a 0.1% adjustment for working days. Despite the increase in revenue, the performance did not meet expectations, as the consensus had anticipated organic growth of 4.8%.
• Safran experienced a decline of 2.8%. EssilorLuxottica experienced a decline of 1.7%, while LVMH saw a decrease of 1.6%.
• Accor, Societe Generale, Airbus, Hermes International, and BNP Paribas experienced declines ranging from 1% to 1.25%.
• Sanofi experienced a decline of approximately 1% following the U.S. FDA’s decision to extend its review of the Sarclisa subcutaneous formulation by as much as three months.
• Legrand increased by 1.8%, whereas STMicroelectronics and TotalEnergies saw gains of 1.6% and 1.5%, respectively.
• Engie, Carrefour, Unibail Rodamco, and Orange recorded modest increases.

Danone experienced a 3% increase. The food and drink giant reported first quarter sales of 6.7 billion euros, reflecting a 2.7% increase on a like-for-like basis, driven by a 1.5% rise in volume/mix and a 1.2% increase in price. For the quarter, sales experienced a decline of 2.0% on a reported basis. The company has reaffirmed its guidance for 2026, aligning with its mid-term objectives.

LFL sales growth is projected to range from 3% to 5%, while recurring operating income is anticipated to increase at a rate surpassing that of sales. French drugmaker Ipsen advanced 1.5% after receiving EU conditional marketing authorization for Ojemda as the first targeted therapy for recurrent or refractory pediatric low-grade glioma.