Investing.com – France stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Financials, Consumer Services and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Paris, the CAC 40 rose 0.84% to hit a new 6-months high, while the SBF 120 index climbed 0.92%.
The best performers of the session on the CAC 40 were STMicroelectronics NV (PA:STM), which rose 5.67% or 0.800 points to trade at 14.905 at the close. Meanwhile, Sodexo SA (PA:EXHO) added 3.04% or 3.01 points to end at 101.95 and Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA (PA:SGOB) was up 2.82% or 0.94 points to 34.48 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were TechnipFMC PLC (PA:FTI), which fell 0.97% or 0.21 points to trade at 21.39 at the close. Sanofi SA (PA:SASY) declined 0.67% or 0.53 points to end at 78.71 and Kering SA (PA:PRTP) was down 0.42% or 2.20 points to 524.20.
The top performers on the SBF 120 were Maisons du Monde SAS (PA:MDM) which rose 8.16% to 18.950, GTT (PA:GTT) which was up 6.78% to settle at 88.20 and STMicroelectronics NV (PA:STM) which gained 5.67% to close at 14.905.
The worst performers were Casino Guichard Perrachon SA (PA:CASP) which was down 3.04% to 39.27 in late trade, Vallourec (PA:VLLP) which lost 1.28% to settle at 2.167 and BIC (PA:BICP) which was down 1.02% to 77.95 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Paris Stock Exchange by 351 to 208 and 104 ended unchanged.
Shares in Sodexo SA (PA:EXHO) rose to 52-week highs; rising 3.04% or 3.01 to 101.95. Shares in GTT (PA:GTT) rose to all time highs; rising 6.78% or 5.60 to 88.20.
The CAC 40 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was down 5.32% to 13.69.
Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.05% or 0.65 to $1296.05 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.13% or 0.08 to hit $62.50 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.43% or 0.30 to trade at $69.07 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.40% to 1.1246, while EUR/GBP rose 0.11% to 0.8538.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.36% at 96.578.