French Stocks Rise On Weak Oil, Lower Yields Post-Fed Rate Hike

French equities advanced on Thursday, lifted by retreating crude oil prices and declining government bond yields in the wake of the Federal Reserve's 25-basis-point interest rate increase. The benchmark CAC 40 index climbed 30.37 points, or 0.37%, to reach 8,170.96 after touching an intraday peak of 8,189.23. Lower U.S. Treasury yields during European trading hours supported broad equity sentiment, signaling investor confidence in central bank efforts to rein in inflationary pressures. Energy markets contributed to the positive market tone as Brent crude dropped over 2% toward $103.70 per barrel. Sector performance remained mixed across Paris-listed shares, led by automotive and industrial names such as Renault and Stellantis, which gained nearly 3% and 2.3% respectively. Conversely, luxury and technology names faced modest pressure, with EssilorLuxottica and Dassault Systemes ending lower. Macroeconomic data provided additional clarity for European investors, with Eurostat's final August figures indicating Eurozone harmonized inflation rose to 3.2% year-over-year, slightly below flash estimates, while core inflation moderated to 2.4%, reinforcing expectations of stabilizing price growth across the continent.