French Stocks Set for Second Straight Monthly Decline

The CAC 40 rose 0.3% to 8,058 on Wednesday, trimming losses from the previous session but remaining on track for its second straight monthly decline as investor sentiment remained fragile amid a lack of progress in US-Iran negotiations. Energy prices remained elevated as the US-Iran standoff is now in its eighth month, with President Trump denying that he would ease sanctions on Iran in exchange for steps to curb Tehran’s nuclear program. Domestically, preliminary estimates showed annual consumer inflation rising to 3% in September, its highest level since February 2024, while domestic producer prices eased to 1% month-on-month in August 2026 from 1.3% in July. Household consumption of goods in France fell 0.5% in August, reversing a downwardly revised 0.4% gain in July and marking the first monthly decline since April. Among individual stocks, L’Oréal (0.8%), Airbus (1.4%) and Safran (1.3%) were among the notable gainers, while TotalEnergies (-2.4%) and Publicis (-1.1%) lagged.