France stocks lower at close of trade; CAC 40 down 0.51%

France equities closed lower, with the CAC 40 falling 0.51% to 8,436.24 and the SBF 120 down 0.57%. The decline was driven mainly by weakness in technology, industrials, and financials, though the session was mixed with notable gains in Pernod Ricard, Carrefour, L’Oreal, and Ubisoft. On the downside, STMicroelectronics dropped nearly 8%, Soitec plunged 17.09% on the SBF 120, and X-Fab lost 9.92%, highlighting sharp pressure on chip-related names. Volatility in the French market was elevated, as the CAC 40 VIX held at a new 52-week high of 18.96. Broader macro moves were mixed: gold edged lower, crude and Brent oil rose more than 2%, and EUR/USD was broadly unchanged. Overall, the article signals a risk-off tone in French equities, with semiconductor weakness outweighing gains in consumer and leisure stocks.