French Stocks Tumble, CAC 40 Hits 3-Month Low on Widespread Sector Losses

French equities ended the week on a downturn, with the benchmark CAC 40 index closing down 1.49% to reach a new three-month low. The broader SBF 120 index also registered a significant decline, falling 1.47% by the close of trade in Paris.

Broad-Based Sell-Off

The losses were widespread across the market, led by significant weakness in the Basic Materials, Consumer Goods, and Financials sectors. Market breadth figures from the Paris Stock Exchange underscored the negative sentiment, with falling stocks outnumbering advancing ones by a wide margin of 331 to 129, while 86 issues ended the session unchanged.

Investor anxiety appeared to remain elevated, as reflected by the CAC 40 VIX. The volatility index, which measures the implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was unchanged at 18.96 but held at a new 52-week high, according to market data.

Index Movers and Key Stocks

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A number of blue-chip companies saw steep declines. The worst performers on the CAC 40 included:

• Orange SA (EPA:ORAN), which fell 5.83%
• Stellantis NV (EPA:STLAM), which declined 5.43% to a 5-year low
• Renault SA (EPA:RENA), which was down 5.32%

In contrast, semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics NV (EPA:STMPA) was a notable outlier, rising 2.39% to become the index's top performer. On the broader SBF 120 index, some stocks saw even more dramatic moves. Euroapi SAS (EPA:EAPI) plunged 8.13% to an all-time low, while insurer Coface (EPA:COFA) surged 8.90% to a 52-week high.