CAC 40 Edges Up on Tuesday

On Tuesday, the CAC 40 index experienced a slight uptick of 0.2%, reaching approximately 8,115 points. This recovery from the prior session's minor decline was buoyed by the performance of defense and banking stocks. Shares in the defense sector rose following the announcement of Germany's historic €52 billion military procurement, with notable gains from Thales, which climbed 2.9%, followed by Safran at 1.2%, and Airbus at 0.3%. The banking sector also saw positive movement, led by BNP Paribas with a 1.4% increase, Crédit Agricole advancing 1.6%, and Société Générale rising by 0.5%. Renault saw an increase of 0.5% after announcing a strategic alliance with Ford in Europe, starting with the introduction of two cost-effective electric vehicles on its Ampere platform. Conversely, among the decliners were Essilor, which fell by 2.1%, Bureau Veritas with a 1.1% decrease, Kering dropping 0.8%, and LVMH down by 0.6%. Investors are maintaining a close watch on the Federal Reserve's decisions as the year draws to a close, particularly focusing on Chair Jerome Powell's comments and the 2026 dot plot, which could provide insight into potential interest rate cuts next year.