(BFM Stock Exchange) – The Parisian index has an increase to start a week rich in major meetings. The CAC 40 increased by almost 0.6% to get closer to 8,100 points, this Monday, March 17.

The Paris Stock Exchange starts the week on the right foot. Its flagship index, CAC 40, accelerated the rate in the afternoon and then ended up up 0.57% to 8,073.98 points this Monday, March 17.

The operators had to digest a series of macroeconomic indicators. In the United States, retail sales were less toned than expected, with an increase of 0.2% in February while the consensus awaited an increase of 0.7%, after a contraction of 1.2% the previous month.

“It is the third consecutive month that retail sales are out below expectations. It had not happened since the beginning of 2023,” notes Bastien Drut, head of CPRAM’s strategy and economic studies.

A crucial Fed meeting

According to the expert, these figures “confirm the halt to household consumption at the start of 2025” and accredit “the hypothesis of temporary acceleration at the end of 2024 in anticipation of the increase in customs duties and the end of certain subsidies”.

“However, this new disappointment on consumption is probably not sufficient to worry the Fed (American Federal Reserve),” he continues. The American monetary institution will return its verdict on its monetary policy this Wednesday, March 19, and a status quo is expected. However, operators will be very attentive to the press conference of its president, Jerome Powell, who will follow while disappointing statistics have been linked for a few weeks.

In China, the country’s authorities have delivered the main lines of a consumption support plan, which however does not give details on how local governments will implement it, notes Reuters.

Measures for tourism incentives and potential crèches grants are for example mentioned. Arrangements “far from a recovery bazooka”, judge Stephen Innes of Spi am.

These announcements have been delivered while several Chinese indicators have proven to be “mixed”, explains Deutsche Bank.

Industrial production has exceeded expectations while retail sales proved online with economist anticipations, with an increase of 4% in January-February compared to the same two months of 2024. But the prices of new houses fell 0.1% in February, which “indicates that real estate slump persists despite the last efforts made by the country to support the market.”

Ultimately, these announcements brought the CSI 300, index which brings together the large capitalizations of the scholarships of Shenzhen and Shanghai, to be retreated by 0.2% on Monday.

Veolia and virbac stars of the day

Luxury, a sector dependent on China for its growth, has been among the strongest decreases in the Parisian index. Kering sold 2.75%, Hermès fell 0.9% while LVMH managed to gain 0.8% at the fence.

Veolia Environnement on the other hand, resumed 2%, supported by the entry to the capital of the LAC1 fund piloted by Bpifrance.

On the SBF 120, Virbac rebounded by 9%, carried by a recovery of recommendation to the purchase of Stifel.

In the other markets, the euro takes 0.44% against the dollar at $ 1.0,925. The May contract on the Brent de Mer du Nord takes 0.54% at $ 70.69 per barrel while the April on the WTI on the WTI in New York advances from $ 67.22.