The CAC 40 edged down to 8,145 points on Friday, its lowest level since October 15, capping a particularly busy week dominated by central bank meetings, an easing of US–China trade tensions, and a wave of earnings reports and economic data. Saint-Gobain fell 2.5% after reporting a small 0.2% drop in Q3 revenue on a comparable basis, or 1.3% lower in actual terms. AXA lost 1.6%, even though the insurer kept its annual targets and reported a 7% rise in premiums and income over the first nine months of the year. Scor dropped 5.2% despite posting better-than-expected quarterly profits, while Imerys jumped 5.2% as the company’s revenue fell 1.3% organically to €827 million due to weak industrial demand, but shares rose as it entered exclusive talks to sell a minority stake in its French lithium mine project. On the macroeconomic front, French inflation eased more than expected, slowing to 1.0% in October from 1.2% in September.
