European stock markets began the week with a sharp decline, hampered by increased tensions in the Persian Gulf. The CAC 40 fell below 8,000 points, down 1.71% to 7,976 points, while the Euro Stoxx 50 dropped 2.05% to 5,760 points. In Frankfurt, the DAX lost 1.22% in a session marked by the closure of the London Stock Exchange for a holiday.
Geopolitical concerns flared around the Strait of Hormuz, amid conflicting information between Tehran and Washington regarding a maritime incident. Additionally, the United Arab Emirates reported missile launches from Iran, mostly intercepted, with one projectile falling into the sea. A South Korean ship was also hit by an explosion followed by a fire in the area, but no casualties were reported.
In this scenario, oil prices surged significantly, with Brent gaining 5.32% to $113.99 per barrel and WTI climbing 3.52% to $105.25.
On the macroeconomic front, industrial orders in the United States rose by 1.5% in March, exceeding expectations.
In Europe, manufacturing activity indicators confirmed improvement: in France, the PMI rose to 52.8, the highest since May 2022, while in the eurozone it reached 52.2, the highest in over four years. In Germany, it stood at 51.4. Furthermore, investor sentiment in the eurozone rebounded in May, with the Sentix index at -16.4, better than expected.
Turning to individual stocks, Soitec stood out at the top of the SBF 120 with a 20.91% surge, supported by a favorable note from Deutsche Bank, driving its increase to over 560% since the beginning of the year. Conversely, EssilorLuxottica (-4.41%) and Société Générale (-3.97%) were among the biggest decliners in the CAC 40, while Capgemini (3.01%) and STMicroelectronics (2.15%) performed well.
The German automotive sector was hit by Donald Trump’s announcement of a 25% tariff increase on European vehicles. Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, and Volkswagen all experienced significant declines.
Finally, on the currency market, the euro slightly fell by 0.24% against the dollar, reaching 1.1697.
Copyright (c) 2026 Zonebourse.com – All rights reserved. (source: AOF)
