(RTTNews) – French stocks fell on Thursday, snapping a three-day winning streak, as U.S. President Donald Trump vowed more strikes on Iran, raising the risk of more extensive damage to energy infrastructure throughout the Gulf, which in turn could trigger inflation and slowdown global economic growth.
The U.S. President did not gave a timeline for ending the conflict and offered no plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but pledged further strikes on energy facilities in the event of Tehran rejecting a deal.
Brent crude futures climbed to nearly $109 a barrel, gaining about 7.7%, triggering inflation and rate hike concerns.
The benchmark CAC 40 was down 89.32 points or 1.1% at 7,891.95 nearly half an hour past noon.
STMicroelectronics, Schneider Electric and Societe Generale lost 3.6%-3.7%. Legrand, ArcelorMittal, BNP Paribas, Hermes International, Bouygues, Airbus, Saint Gobain and EssilorLuxottica fell 2%-3%.
Safran, Credit Agricole, Eiffage, Vinci, Michelin and Dassault Systemes lost 1%-1.7%. LVMH, Bureau Vertias, Kering, L’Oreal and Pernod Ricard also drifted lower.
Among the gainers, TotalEnergies moved up 3%, lifted by higher oil prices. Stealantis climbed 1.8%, while Engie, Thales, Publicis Groupe and Orange advanced by 0.7%-1.1%. Carrefour and Euronext posted modest gains.
In economic news, France’s state budget deficit narrowed to EUR 32.1 billion in January-February 2026 from EUR 40.3 billion in the same period last year, amid higher revenues and lower spending.
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