The CAC 40 climbed 0.5% to around 8,220 on Monday, extending its upward trend since the start of 2026, as heightened geopolitical tensions in Venezuela spurred investor demand for defense stocks. With the US moving to arrest Venezuelan President Maduro, defense names collectively advanced, including Thales (+4.5%), Airbus (+2.0%), and Safran (+1.5%). Broader market gains were led by Eurofins Scientific SE (+5.3%), Schneider Electric (+2.5%), and ArcelorMittal (+1.7%). Air Liquide inched up 0.2% despite reporting that currency effects reduced its 2025 sales by roughly 3.5%, including a 4.2% decline in Q3 and an expected 6% drop in Q4. On the downside, energy shares were pressured, with ENGIE down 0.8% and TotalEnergies SE down 0.5%, while Orange (-1.5%) and Carrefour (-1.1%) also weighed on the index.
