Paris (France) (AFP) – The Paris Stock Exchange ended lower on Wednesday, undermined by geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East and company results that disappointed investors.
Published on: 04/22/2026 - 6:49 p.m.
The flagship index of the Paris Stock Exchange, the CAC 40, lost 0.96% to 8,156.43 points, a decline of 79.29 points. On Tuesday, the index lost 1.14% to 8,235.72 points.
“Market sentiment remained fragile throughout the day as traders attempted to assess whether President Trump's latest ceasefire extension would be sustainable, with doubts lingering over whether Iran and Israel will respect this agreement,” explains Patrick Munnelly of Tickmill Group.
The American president resolved Tuesday evening to extend until further notice the truce observed with Iran since April 8. Discussions between Washington and Tehran have still not resumed.
Furthermore, “the European economy is hit harder by rising energy prices than that of the United States. This is what investors are currently including in their valuations,” notes Andreas Lipkow of CMC Markets.
Geopolitical uncertainty further pushed oil prices on Wednesday, with Brent, the global benchmark for a barrel, hovering around $100.
“What characterizes the current situation is a lack of stability and the volatility of reactions” on the markets, summarizes Nathalie Benatia, economist at BNP Paribas Asset Management, interviewed by AFP.
Investors also digested a new burst of corporate results, which were rather poorly received on Wednesday.
The action of Bureau Veritas, specialist in tests, verifications and certifications, fell by 10.59%, to 25.42 euros, after the slightly downward revision of its outlook for 2026, finishing at the bottom of the CAC 40.
FDJ United, the new name of Française des Jeux, fell 7.95% to 24.31 euros after publishing a turnover down 3.2% in the first quarter of 2026, affected by the increase in taxation, and revising its forecasts downwards.
© 2026 AFP
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