Investing.com – France stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Industrial Engineering, Pharmaceuticals & Biotech and Basic Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Paris, the CAC 40 added 0.59%, while the SBF 120 index gained 0.47%.
The best performers of the session on the CAC 40 were Arcelormittal (AMS:ISPA), which rose 3.05% or 0.30 points to trade at 10.30 at the close. Meanwhile, BNP Paribas Act. A (PARIS:BNPP) added 2.23% or 1.24 points to end at 56.77 and Alstom (PARIS:ALSO) was up 2.19% or 0.61 points to 28.76 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Unibail-Rodamco (AMS:UNBP), which fell 1.66% or 3.80 points to trade at 225.20 at the close. Safran (PARIS:SAF) declined 1.16% or 0.75 points to end at 63.65 and Peugeot SA (PARIS:PEUP) was down 1.13% or 0.21 points to 18.40.
The top performers on the SBF 120 were Innate Pharma (PARIS:IPH) which rose 4.65% to 14.190, Arcelormittal (AMS:ISPA) which was up 3.05% to settle at 10.30 and Elior (PARIS:ELIOR) which gained 2.99% to close at 17.54.
The worst performers were Technicolor (PARIS:TCH) which was down 2.26% to 5.851 in late trade, Mercialys (PARIS:MERY) which lost 2.18% to settle at 20.61 and Fonciere des Regions (PARIS:FDR) which was down 2.15% to 77.54 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Paris Stock Exchange by 459 to 441 and 57 ended unchanged.
Shares in Elior (PARIS:ELIOR) rose to all time highs; gaining 2.99% or 0.51 to 17.54.
The CAC 40 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was down 1.49% to 23.07.
Gold for August delivery was down 0.56% or 6.70 to $1187.70 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 1.96% or 1.20 to hit $60.06 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract fell 2.08% or 1.36 to trade at $64.12 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 1.00% to 1.1264, while EUR/GBP rose 1.07% to 0.7345.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.64% at 95.39.