FX.co ★ CAC 40 Gains As Investors Await Rate-cut Cues

French stocks saw a slight uptick in trading on Thursday, in anticipation of a decision on interest rates by the European Central Bank (ECB) set to take place later in the day. While the ECB is expected to maintain the current interest rates, much attention is being directed towards Christine Lagarde, the ECB's president, for indications of potential interest rate reductions in June due to easing inflation and economic fragility.

The benchmark CAC 40 index rose by 21 points or 0.3%, settling at 8,067. This followed a marginal dip in the previous day's trading.

Publicis Groupe, a prominent French advertising firm, saw its stocks enjoy a 1.5% boost. This follows the company's announcement of a 4.9% growth in net revenue for the first quarter, a reflection of sturdy performance across all regions.

The Societe Generale's shares jumped by 2.6%. This surge resulted from a recent agreement between the bank and Groupe BPCE that permits the sale of Societe Generale Equipment Finance, a professional equipment financing business. The business is estimated to fetch approximately 1.1 billion euros.