Investing.com – France stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Industrial Transportation, Healthcare Equipment & Services and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Paris, the CAC 40 gained 0.29%, while the SBF 120 index gained 0.38%.
The best performers of the session on the CAC 40 were EDF (PARIS:EDF), which rose 2.66% or 0.56 points to trade at 21.43 at the close. Meanwhile, Bouygues (PARIS:BOUY) added 1.43% or 0.46 points to end at 32.29 and Veolia Environnement (PARIS:VIE) was up 1.31% or 0.255 points to 19.700 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Schneider Electric (PARIS:SCHN), which fell 2.14% or 1.37 points to trade at 62.65 at the close. Technip (PARIS:TECF) declined 1.14% or 0.59 points to end at 51.16 and Kering (PARIS:PRTP) was down 0.94% or 1.55 points to 163.85.
The top performers on the SBF 120 were Innate Pharma (PARIS:IPH) which rose 9.47% to 15.600, Rubis (PARIS:RUBF) which was up 4.05% to settle at 68.14 and Elior (PARIS:ELIOR) which gained 3.89% to close at 19.77.
The worst performers were Vallourec (PARIS:VLLP) which was down 2.64% to 16.61 in late trade, CGG (PARIS:GEPH) which lost 2.31% to settle at 4.48 and Rexel (PARIS:RXL) which was down 2.27% to 14.63 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Paris Stock Exchange by 522 to 284 and 59 ended unchanged.
Shares in Veolia Environnement (PARIS:VIE) rose to 3-years highs; rising 1.31% or 0.255 to 19.700. Shares in Vallourec (PARIS:VLLP) fell to 5-year lows; falling 2.64% or 0.45 to 16.61. Shares in Rubis (PARIS:RUBF) rose to 3-years highs; up 4.05% or 2.65 to 68.14. Shares in Elior (PARIS:ELIOR) rose to all time highs; gaining 3.89% or 0.74 to 19.77.
The CAC 40 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was down 3.02% to 19.88 a new 1-month low.
Gold for August delivery was down 0.68% or 7.90 to $1145.60 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August fell 2.38% or 1.26 to hit $51.78 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract fell 1.95% or 1.15 to trade at $57.53 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.43% to 1.0961, while EUR/GBP fell 0.48% to 0.7007.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.44% at 97.23.