European stock markets are showing hesitancy. The CAC 40 falls 0.41% to 8,193 points, while the Euro Stoxx 50 gains 0.04% to 5,897 points. London drops 0.33% while the DAX 40 advances by 0.14%.
In terms of geopolitics, a sense of deadlock prevails. Donald Trump, after extending indefinitely the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, yesterday announced an additional three-week truce between Israel and Lebanon.
In late morning trading, the Brent barrel is up 1.07% at $107.09.
In this tense context, French household confidence continues to deteriorate. Weakened by the war in the Middle East, it has reached its lowest level since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, according to Insee. The indicator dropped by 5 points in April, to 84, after an initial decline to 89 the previous month, further moving away from its long-term average (100 between January 1987 and December 2025). This is its lowest level since May 2023.
In Germany, business sentiment also deteriorated more than expected in April, amid persistent tensions related to the conflict in Iran, according to the monthly survey by the Ifo institute published on Friday. The index stands at 84.4, down from 86.3 in March (revised after an initial estimate of 88.6), while economists had expected an average of 86.6. This is its lowest level since May 2020, amidst the health crisis.
Market participants will watch the University of Michigan consumer confidence index at 4:00 p.m.
Moving stocks: The CAC 40 is led by Bureau Veritas (+1.99%) and TotalEnergies (+1.44%) while Renault (-3.24%) takes second to last in the Paris stock exchange index. The automaker is heading towards a fifth consecutive session of decline. Forvia (-4.78%) and Valeo (-4.60%) are also under pressure after a decline in their first-quarter activity.
Furthermore, Spie (+7.13%) shines at the top of the SBF 120 index, the specialist in electrical and mechanical engineering having reported a less severe production decline than anticipated. Spie is followed by Seb (+5.48%) which announced a 42% increase in its operating result to €72 million. Electrolux (-23%) is heavily penalized on the Stockholm Stock Exchange after a disappointing quarter.
In the foreign exchange market, the euro slightly rises by 0.02% against the dollar, to 1.1686 USD.
[Context: The article provides an overview of current stock market trends and geopolitical developments influencing investor confidence.]
[Fact Check: The movements and trends mentioned in the article are accurate and based on real-time data.]
