CAC 40 gains 59 points at midday as Moody's eases debt fears

The CAC 40 gained 59 points, or 0.8 percent, to 7,842 points at 12:22 p.m. CET on October 26, 2026. The move followed weaker oil prices and relief after Moody's kept France's sovereign rating at Aa3.

Hermes led the index higher, while the sharpest pressure came from several individual stocks outside the benchmark's largest gainers and losers. French bond-market stress eased as the 10-year OAT yield moved to 4.98 percent.

Why is the CAC 40 higher today?

Crude prices fell as diplomatic contacts raised hopes of reduced Middle East tensions. December Brent crude dropped 1.4 percent to USD 109.88 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate fell 2.0 percent to USD 101.17, BFM Bourse reported.

Moody's retained France's Aa3 rating but kept a negative outlook. The decision reduced immediate pressure on French assets, while the OAT yield fell below 5 percent, Reuters said.

Winners and losers in the CAC 40

At midday on October 26, the winners and losers were listed by Ideal Investisseur:

• Hermes up 3.2 percent.
• Stellantis up 3.0 percent.
• Accor up 2.6 percent.
• EssilorLuxottica down 1.6 percent.
• Carrefour down 1.2 percent.
• TotalEnergies down 0.9 percent.

What comes next for the CAC 40

France's next scheduled release is consumer confidence on October 27, 2026, at 8:45 a.m. CET. The CAC 40 is scheduled to resume trading at 9:00 a.m. CET.

CAC 40 price data for October 26, 2026

The CAC 40 stood at 7,842 points at 12:22 p.m. CET on October 26, 2026, up 59 points or 0.8 percent from the October 23 close of 7,783 points, BFM Bourse reported.

More market reports and analysis on the CAC 40