Paris (AFP)

The Paris Stock Exchange clung to equilibrium (+ 0.09%) Monday at midday, contenting itself with staying above 6,000 points in a market idling due to the Christmas holidays.

At 1:31 p.m. (12:31 p.m. GMT), the CAC 40 index gleaned 5.63 points to 6.027.16 points, in a trading volume of 720 million euros. On Friday, it finished sharply up 0.82%, ending at an annual high and above 6,000 points for the first time since 2007.

The Parisian odds started stable before losing a little strength then approaching the balance again, even signing in session a new high since July 20, 2007, at 6.028.6 points.

Wall Street was preparing to start slightly in the green. The futures contract on the flagship Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.19%, that on the broad S&P 500 index appreciated also 0.19% and that on the highly technological Nasdaq gained 0, 27%.

"The morning was calm in European markets, investors slowing down for Christmas," said David Madden, an analyst at CMC Markets, in a note.

Because of the holidays, "the market volatility is low and the ranges (indices) are narrow, so it is possible that the movements of the day are not a true reflection of the mood of the market", a- he completed.

"Trade relations between the United States and China continue to see progress," he also noted.

US President Donald Trump said Friday he had a "very good discussion" with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, a week after the announcement of an agreement in principle synonymous with a truce in the trade war between Washington and Beijing.

The Chinese government also announced on Monday a series of tariff cuts on a large number of technological or food products, including pork, while the country's livestock is facing an epidemic.

In terms of indicators, this Monday's agenda will be mainly American with new home sales for November.

- Marie Brizard barely -

On the securities front, Virbac rose 8.95% to 243.50 euros, galvanized by the announcement Friday of the increase in its 2019 outlook "following the very good performance seen at the end of the year", according to a group press release.

Marie Brizard fell on the other hand by 18.88% to 1.74 euro after the group announced Friday to have obtained new financing from its majority shareholder in order to be able to meet its "immediate" cash needs.

Recylex sank 9.43% to 3.94 euros following the announcement that its financial partners had agreed, under conditions, to continue to finance its German activity until the end of April.

Crédit Agricole, in the red like all banking, did not take advantage (-0.88% to 12.05 euros) of the announcement that it has completed the purchase of part of the activities of the Spanish group Santander, with a view to becoming one of the main world players on the asset conservation and administration market.

Airbus (+ 0.56% to 132.62 euros) and Safran (+ 0.61% to 141.10 euros) were supported by the announcement of an agreement concluded between the latter and General Electric (GE) and to increase the production rate of the engines fitted to the Airbus A320neo to compensate for the setbacks of the great rival, the Boeing 737 MAX, according to the Wall Street Journal.

© 2019 AFP