16.01.202608:49:31UTC+00CAC 40 Ticks Down on Week’s Final Session

The CAC 40 index declined by 0.3% on Friday, settling at approximately 8,285. This marks the fifth straight session of losses as cautious investor sentiment prevails following the index's recent record high. Contributing to the cautious outlook is the ongoing ambiguity surrounding French budget negotiations. The decline was led by Essilor, which fell 2.7%, with Kering, Renault, Air Liquide, and TotalEnergies following suit, posting losses of 1.5%, 1.16%, 0.8%, and 0.7%, respectively. Conversely, the index gained some support from the defense sector's rally, which bounced back after two consecutive losing sessions. Thales advanced by 2.1%, Safran increased by 1.6%, and Airbus rose by 1.0%, bolstering the industry’s gains. Additionally, Publicis, Orange, and Eurofins Scientific experienced significant upturns, gaining 1.6%, 1.4%, and 0.7%, respectively. Politically, the French government deferred discussions on the 2026 budget in parliament from Friday to the upcoming Tuesday following a failure to achieve a legislative consensus, thereby intensifying investor apprehension.