The Paris Bourse rebounded sharply on Tuesday, December 21 (+ 1.38%) after two sessions of decline, thanks to investors less fearful of the advance of the Omicron variant, but still watching for the measures envisaged by governments to deal with it . The flagship CAC 40 index advanced 94.89 points to 6,964.99 points. The day before, it had lost 0.82%. The Parisian quotation opened sharply higher and after a temporary weakness at the end of the morning, resumed a linear progression.
Following the renewed tension around the spread of Omicron on Monday, markets were “relieved” by the absence of new restrictive measures in the United Kingdom in the evening, Ilana Azuelos-Bossard told AFP, Deputy Director of Kiplink Finance. In the United States too, President Joe Biden removed restrictions before Christmas, preferring to focus on tests, strengthened vaccination capacities and additional resources for hospitals. Omicron has become dominant in the territory, accounting for 73.2% of new Covid-19 infections during the week that ended on December 18, according to US health authorities.
>> To read also – Inflation, or the great challenge of central banks and stock exchanges of 2022
“Health news has come back to the fore,” after central bank meetings last week, observes Ms. Azuelos-Bossard. The fund manager stresses, however, that the rebound remains fragile. “We are all looking for information to learn more about Omicron. It remains to be seen how dangerous and what actions governments are taking.”
In addition, in Congress, discussions are continuing to find a favorable outcome to the massive plan (1.750 billion dollars) of social and environmental measures of the Biden government, which the moderate senator Joe Manchin, whose support is crucial, refuses for the moment to vote. “There is still hope,” notes Ms. Azuelos-Bossard, while the announcement of the lack of support from Mr. Manchin had contributed to the drop in prices on Monday. During the holiday season, in the absence of a large number of asset managers, liquidity decreases, which can exacerbate any movements in the equity market.
Bolloré delighted with MSC’s offer
The share of Vincent Bolloré’s group jumped 11.54% to 4.83 euros after the Italian-Swiss shipowner MSC offered to buy back its logistics activities in Africa for 5.7 billion euros. Vivendi, of which Vincent Bolloré is the main shareholder, gained 4.49% to 11.75 euros, at the top of the CAC 40.
The French mining group Eramet announced on Tuesday that it had identified a financial fraud – the damage of which is currently estimated at 45 million euros. The title lost 0.64% to 69.90 euros, one of the worst declines in the extended SBF 120 index, backwards from the commodities sector. On the CAC 40 ArcelorMittal took 2.81% to 28.54 euros.
>> Read also – MSC offers 5.7 billion euros to Bolloré for its logistics in Africa
The airline Qatar Airways announced Monday that it had initiated legal proceedings against Airbus before the British courts to settle their dispute concerning a degradation of the surface of the A350 fuselages. The Airbus share rose 4.64% to 106.80 euros, in the air sector’s momentum, relieved of the absence of any restrictive measure, especially in the United States: Air France-KLM also climbed 4.48 % to 3.94 euros, Aéroports de Paris from 1.67% to 109.70 euros.
Biotech DBV collapsed 37.71% to 3.05 euros after announcing its intention to start a new pivotal phase 3 study on the modified patch Viaskin Peanut, against peanut allergy in children with United States. At the same time, it withdrew the application for marketing authorization for this product from the European Medicines Agency.