(News Bulletin 247) – The Paris Stock Exchange ended this tough week on the rise. The CAC 40 gained 0.3% this Friday evening and returned to close to 7,300 points, which allowed it to post a positive performance (+0.25%) on a weekly basis.

The Paris Stock Exchange ended this difficult week on a positive note. The CAC 40 rose by 0.31%, to 7,269.71 points at the close of trading this Friday evening, after having nevertheless erased a good part of its gains from the end of the morning (+1% to 7,319.51 points) in the wake of a mixed opening on the New York Stock Exchange.

On Wall Street, the indices are struggling to get going again after their best session in two years. The Dow Jones and the Nasdaq are stable at the close of the European stock markets.

Initiatives were contained this Friday, while operators already have their minds on the next deadlines on the macroeconomic front. Monthly statistics on consumer prices on the consumer and producer side as well as retail sales in the United States will be on the agenda for the coming week. And these data will feed into the thinking of investors who are trying to assess a potential entry into recession of the world’s leading economy.

These fears had been fueled by a disappointing employment report last Friday before being somewhat tempered on Thursday by a higher than expected drop in weekly unemployment claims. The CAC 40 thus managed to save face (+0.25%) in a week that had nevertheless started badly.

Sparse news

As for business news, for once it is reduced at the beginning of August.

Up at midday, Eutelsat finally ended down 2.1% in reaction to the publication of its 2023-2024 annual accounts.

Excluding publications, Esker gained 9.2%, climbing a report from Bloomberg, according to which the British investment fund Bridgepoint is considering making a takeover bid for the Lyon group.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro gained 0.1% against the dollar to $1.0926. On the oil side, it is on the rise. The October contract on North Sea Brent climbed 0.6% to $79.61 per barrel, while the September contract on WTI listed in New York rose 0.7% to $76.75 per barrel.