Paris (France) (AFP) – The Paris Stock Exchange is expected to fall at the opening on Thursday in the face of oil prices at their highest since 2022 and the climate of risk aversion, in the middle of the corporate results season.

Published on: 04/30/2026 - 08:35

The futures contract on the flagship index of the Paris Stock Exchange, the CAC 40, was down 0.90% around forty minutes before the market opened at 9:00 a.m. Paris time. The day before, the CAC 40 ended down 0.39%, at 8,072.13 points.

“European markets should open lower this morning, penalized by a new surge in oil prices which is reviving inflationary fears and weighing on risk appetite,” comments John Plassard, of the private bank Cité Gestion.

Brent, the global oil benchmark, is moving around its highest level since the start of the conflict in the Middle East two months ago: it exceeded 126 dollars per barrel during Asian trade, a peak since the beginning of 2022, when the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army caused a surge in prices.

The surge in oil comes in “a context where the conflict in the Middle East shows no sign of easing, even eclipsing the solid results of American technology giants,” continues Mr. Plassard.

Enough to “add additional pressure on risky assets, reinforcing the idea of ​​an increasingly unstable market environment dependent on energy shocks,” he explains.

Among the values ​​to follow:

Schneider Electric: the French giant of electrical equipment and industrial automation unveiled Thursday a “record” turnover in the first quarter of 2026, at 9.8 billion euros, driven by “the strong dynamics of data centers”, and reaffirmed its 2026 objectives.

ArcelorMittal: the steelmaker announced an increase in its turnover of 4.4% to 15.4 billion dollars (13.2 billion euros) in the first quarter, but its net profit fell compared to the first three months of 2025.

Rémy Cointreau: the group's sales fell by 5% to 935.3 million euros over its staggered 2025-2026 financial year, penalized by exchange rates (dollar and yuan), but the spirits group is delighted with a slight recovery (+0.2%) without these effects.

Capgemini: the French IT giant saw its sales accelerate in the first quarter, despite an unfavorable exchange rate effect.

Technip Energies: the group specializing in energy infrastructure announced a drop of almost 18% in its net profit in the first quarter, penalized by the consequences of the war in the Middle East on its sites.

Société Générale: after having signed a record year in 2025, the bank is starting 2026 on the ground with a net profit of around 1.7 billion euros in the first quarter (+5.5% over one year), helped in particular by its retail activities.

Crédit Agricole: The French banking group published a higher net profit for the first quarter of 2026, although it had to increase its provisions to cope with increased economic risks linked to the war in the Middle East.

BNP Paribas: the leading European bank announced that it had generated a record net profit of 3.2 billion euros in the first quarter, up 9% and driven by operational performance and the good integration of asset manager Axa IM acquired in 2025.

Stellantis: the car manufacturer became profitable again in the 1st quarter, with a net profit of 377 million euros compared to a loss of 387 million a year earlier.

Air France-KLM: the Franco-Dutch air transport giant has lowered its forecasts for 2026 due to the war in the Middle East, counting on lower growth as the kerosene bill begins to take off.

Casino: the distributor said Wednesday evening that it was "convinced" of an agreement with its creditors, on the occasion of the publication of its first quarter turnover, which was down 2.7% to 1.95 billion euros but up slightly (+0.3%) on a comparable basis.

Michelin: the French tire manufacturer recorded sales in the first quarter down 5.4% to 6.2 billion euros, a decline which it attributes to currency effects, it announced Wednesday evening.

© 2026 AFP

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