On the Old Continent, the CAC 40 is up 1.79% at 7,954 points after 90 minutes of trading. In Frankfurt, the DAX 40 has climbed 1.98%, while London's FTSE 100 is trading 1.29% higher.

This market upswing is fueled by hopes of a ceasefire in the Middle East. During a White House press conference, the U.S. President indicated that the United States would exit Iran "within two to three weeks." On the Iranian side, the President stated, "we have the necessary will to end this war, provided that guarantees are given to prevent a recurrence of attacks," during a telephone conversation with the President of the European Council.

With this expressed willingness from two of the belligerents to end the conflict, oil prices are retreating. WTI is down 3.13% at 98.40 dollars, and North Sea Brent has shed 1.97% to 101.42 dollars.

However, according to franceinfo, the Israeli Prime Minister maintains that the war "is not over."

A busy day for macroeconomic data

In France, the S&P Global manufacturing PMI for March hit the 50.0 mark, the threshold for stagnation, remaining close to its February level (50.1) and indicating a flatlining of sector conditions.

In March, the German manufacturing PMI, calculated by S&P Global, outperformed expectations. It rose to 52.2 from 50.9 in February, surpassing analysts' forecasts of a more modest improvement to 51.7. At 52.2, it stands at its highest level since May 2022. Phil Smith, Associate Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, stated: "The immediate effects of the war in the Middle East on the German manufacturing sector are clearly visible in the March PMI results. Most notably, input cost inflation accelerated sharply under the pressure of rising oil and gas prices, recording its strongest monthly increase on record."

In the Eurozone, the pace of growth in the manufacturing sector accelerated in March, defying fears of a contraction. The S&P Global manufacturing activity index rose from 50.8 in February to 51.6 in March, a 45-month high. Analysts had anticipated a drop to 49.4. According to Joe Hayes, Principal Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence: "The consequences of the war in the Middle East are already being reflected in the Eurozone manufacturing sector's performance. Indeed, supplier delivery times have lengthened significantly as supply chains adapt to shipping disruptions, while the surge in oil and energy prices has pushed input price inflation to its highest level since late 2022."

Other significant statistics are scheduled for this afternoon in the United States, including the ADP private sector employment survey for March, February retail sales, and various indicators on the health of the manufacturing sector.

Meanwhile, in the currency markets, the euro is recovering (+0.12%) following Trump's statements and is trading at 1.1589 dollars, its highest level since the beginning of March.

Corporate news...

Stocks that have suffered significantly in recent days are rebounding, led by banking values such as Société Générale, which is up 5.38%.

Conversely, the retreat in crude prices is weighing on oil majors like TotalEnergies (-2.18%), while benefiting Air France-KLM (+7.74%).

Defensive stocks are being somewhat sidelined amid the strong market rally, with Orange and Danone slipping 0.51% and 0.09% respectively.

Outside the CAC 40, Nanobiotix is a standout performer (+9.48%) following the publication of its annual results and a positive note from Stifel. IDI's earnings were also well-received, with the stock climbing 3%.