CAC 40 Eases, Posts Weekly Surge

The CAC 40 fell 0.2% to close at 8,174 on Friday, easing from seven-month highs after a strong weekly gain of 3.9% and widely outperforming EU peers, as France’s political turmoil subsided after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes on Thursday, granting his newly formed government a temporary reprieve ahead of the crucial 2026 budget debate.

However, a sharp selloff in bank shares capped the weekly advance, with Société Générale (-5.1%), BNP Paribas (-4%) and Crédit Agricole (-2.5%) all declining amid mounting concerns in broader credit markets after two US regional banks revealed loan exposures involving losses and potential fraud.

By contrast, EssilorLuxottica surged 13% after reporting a strong Q3, with revenue up 11.7% year-on-year to €6.86 billion, driven by solid growth in North America and Europe and continued momentum from its AI-powered eyewear segment.