PARIS: France stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Healthcare, Consumer Goods and Consumer Services sectors led shares higher. At the close in Paris, the CAC 40 gained 0.47%, while the SBF 120 index gained 0.48%. The best performers of the session on the CAC 40 were Valeo SA (PA:VLOF), which rose 2.82% or 1.77 points to trade at 64.58 at the close. Meanwhile, Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin SCA (PA:MICP) added 2.06% or 2.35 points to end at 116.55 and Unibail Rodamco SE (AS:UNBP) was up 1.83% or 4.25 points to 236.15 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT), which fell 3.44% or 0.670 points to trade at 18.825 at the close. Veolia Environnement VE SA (PA:VIE) declined 1.70% or 0.335 points to end at 19.365 and Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA (PA:SGOB) was down 0.93% or 0.47 points to 50.00. The top performers on the SBF 120 were Soitec SA (PA:SOIT) which rose 4.06% to 52.000, Ipsen (PA:IPN) which was up 3.73% to settle at 121.10 and Sopra Steria Group SA (PA:SOPR) which gained 2.97% to close at 149.05.
The worst performers were ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) which was down 3.44% to 18.825 in late trade, Vallourec (PA:VLLP) which lost 2.74% to settle at 5.472 and Tarkett (PA:TKTT) which was down 2.35% to 43.74 at the close. Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Paris Stock Exchange by 389 to 229 and 82 ended unchanged. Shares in Soitec SA (PA:SOIT) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 4.06% or 2.030 to 52.000. Shares in Ipsen (PA:IPN) rose to all time highs; up 3.73% or 4.35 to 121.10. Shares in Sopra Steria Group SA (PA:SOPR) rose to all time highs; up 2.97% or 4.30 to 149.05.
The CAC 40 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was down 5.66% to 12.65 a new 1-month low. Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.73% or 9.20 to $1276.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 0.97% or 0.47 to hit $47.89 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.85% or 0.43 to trade at $50.20 a barrel. EUR/USD was up 0.48% to 1.1267, while EUR/GBP rose 0.52% to 0.8749. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.45% at 96.72.
