France’s CAC 40 exhibited limited movement Wednesday morning as investors maintained a cautious stance in the absence of substantial catalysts. Optimism surrounding U.S.-Iran peace negotiations, coupled with alleviated concerns regarding AI infrastructure expenditures, bolstered market performance. The CAC 40, fluctuating between 8,661.06 and 8,693.89, recorded a decline of 4.91 points or 0.06%, standing at 8,661.70 at midday.

Data indicated that the S&P Global France Manufacturing PMI increased to 49.4 in July, up from 47.2 in the preceding month, and marginally below market expectations of 49.6. This suggests the mildest contraction in private sector activity observed over the past three months. The Services PMI increased to 49.6 in July, an improvement from June’s 46.8%. Data from INSEE indicated that industrial production in France experienced a month-on-month increase of 0.1% in June 2025. This figure fell short of market expectations, which had anticipated a rise of 0.3%, yet it marked a recovery from a 0.1% decline observed in the preceding month.

• Euronext, Carrefour, Thales, and Veolia Environment experienced gains ranging from 1.4% to 1.7%.
• Danone experienced an increase of 1.3%, whereas Accor, Air Liquide, L’Oreal, Publicis Groupe, TotalEnergies, Safran, and Engie saw gains ranging from 0.4% to 0.75%.
• LVMH and Hermes International experienced declines of 2% and 1.7%, respectively.
• Michelin experienced a decline of 1.1%, while Orange saw a decrease of approximately 1%.
• Credit Agricole, Legrand, Unibail Rodamco, Kering, Saint-Gobain, Bouygues, Vinci, ArcelorMittal and Renault experienced declines ranging from 0.4% to 0.7%.