European equities weighed down by international tensions
European stock markets kicked off the week in the red amid a geopolitical stalemate. The ceasefire between Washington and Tehran is set to expire Wednesday evening (Washington time), Donald Trump stated, as reported by Bloomberg. In this tense climate, the CAC 40 shed 1.12% to 8,331 points, while the Euro Stoxx 50 retreated 1.18% to 5,986 points.
Published on 04/20/2026 at 04:57 pm BST
Contact us to request a correction
The military situation has further hardened. Yesterday, the U.S. Navy forcibly intercepted an Iranian merchant vessel, marking an escalation in the naval standoff between the two belligerents. Since the start of the blockade on Iranian ports, 27 vessels have been turned away, according to the U.S. military.
Donald Trump once again adopted an offensive tone on Truth Social, referring to a "fair and reasonable deal" and threatening to strike Iranian energy infrastructure and bridges in the event of a refusal.
In this context, oil prices are rising sharply: Brent is up approximately 4% to 95.52 USD, driven by supply concerns.
Lizzy Galbraith, senior political economist at Aberdeen Investments, highlights the erratic nature of the negotiations: "Progress toward a lasting ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, as well as the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, remains a stop-and-go process. The truce, with its approaching deadline, remains extremely fragile. After appearing to agree on Friday to reopen the strait, the two sides quickly diverged, with Iran re-announcing its closure while the U.S. blockade continued. At this stage, whether a new round of negotiations will take place this week remains uncertain. This instability partly reflects the power vacuum in Tehran: with several key figures missing, it is unclear whether any authority is in a position to conclude a lasting agreement with Washington."
In corporate news, Rubis (+1.19%) is considering the acquisition of Puma Energy, a subsidiary of Trafigura, for approximately 2.5 billion euros.
Orange (+3.50%) climbed to the top of the CAC 40, supported by Berenberg, which raised its price target to 20 euros from 18 previously while maintaining its buy recommendation.
Conversely, EssilorLuxottica (-4.27%) suffered the sharpest decline on the index, penalized by a note from Bernstein lowering its price target. The broker highlighted structural risks, particularly those related to profound technological shifts in the sector.
On the foreign exchange market, the euro is up 0.38% at 1.1784 USD.



















