CAC 40 Down Nearly 1% As U.S.-Iran Tensions Weigh

French stocks slipped on April 24, 2026, as rising U.S.-Iran tensions and a de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices higher and stoked inflation and monetary-tightening concerns. The benchmark CAC 40 fell about 0.91% (down 76.10 points) to around 8,151.22 after earlier dipping to 8,116.95. Heavyweights including EssilorLuxottica, ArcelorMittal, Renault and Stellantis dropped between about 3%–3.4%, while Safran slid despite solid Q1 results and an upbeat outlook. Select names outperformed, with Bureau Veritas, TotalEnergies and STMicroelectronics posting modest gains. The geopolitical developments — including U.S. threats to maritime actors and reports of Iranian hardline unity — were cited as the main drag on sentiment and markets.