Yesterday, the CAC 40 gained 1.79%, its strongest performance since October 15, though this only partially erased the losses from the previous three sessions.

Currently, after ninety minutes of trading, the CAC 40 is down 1.02% at 7,975.33 points, while Frankfurt's DAX 40 is shedding 1.59% and London's FTSE 100 is losing 1.07%.

Investor optimism has cooled, notably because Tuesday was marked by strikes of unprecedented intensity on Iranian territory, according to several news agencies. Iran has since retaliated by targeting U.S. military installations in the Middle East.

An end to hostilities is therefore not yet on the agenda, and the only "positive" for the markets is the recent dip in crude prices. In New York, WTI is nevertheless up 2% at 87.29 dollars, while in London, North Sea Brent is edging up 0.03% to 91.37 dollars.

The lull in oil prices is linked to the International Energy Agency's proposal to release between 300 and 400 million barrels of oil—a quantity exceeding the 182 million barrels released in 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine—in an effort to calm the market. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of the world's oil passes, is the source of the tension in crude prices. A swift reopening would provide relief.

The primary concern with rising crude prices is their potential to drive up overall prices and inflation, which would limit the Federal Reserve's room for maneuver in cutting interest rates—a move repeatedly demanded by Donald Trump.

Key macroeconomic data

Inflation will take center stage this afternoon in the United States (1:30 PM) with the publication of the Consumer Price Index for February. Oil will also remain in focus with the release of weekly U.S. inventory data at 3:30 PM.

This morning, investors already processed the Consumer Price Index from Germany. It rose by 0.2% in February, in line with forecasts, bringing the annual inflation rate to 1.9%, a figure that also held no surprises.

On the currency market, the euro is retreating slightly against the greenback (-0.13%) and is trading at 1.1598 dollars.

Corporate news

Regarding individual stocks, in France, Elis is up 2.71% after announcing a 500 million euro share buyback program. The group also unveiled annual results that were broadly in line with its own guidance and analyst expectations.

Also performing well, Spain's Inditex is gaining 1.11%; the Spanish textile giant saw its net profit and net sales grow over the full 2025 fiscal year.

Conversely, in the red, Rheinmetall is dropping 5.52%. The German defense group published 2025 accounts that fell short of market expectations, despite a 3% increase in net profit to 835 million euros and revenue jumping 29% to 9.935 billion euros. Furthermore, the order book reached a record level, and in terms of guidance, the company expects revenue growth of 40% to 45% this year.