Paris (AFP)

The Paris Stock Exchange ended on a sharp decline on Monday (-4.24%) a session correlated to the American market, investors taking their profits while they fear a resumption of Sino-American trade hostilities.

The CAC 40 index lost 193.95 points to 4,378.23 points. On Thursday, it finished down 2.12%.

The Parisian coast reopened after a three-day weekend.

After a short lull, tensions have again arisen between China and the United States. Washington accuses Beijing of being behind the Covid-19 pandemic, and Donald Trump has once again brandished the threat of punitive tariffs.

"American tensions do not explain everything. It is more of a catch-up on the American session on Friday", Wall Street having then ended clearly in the red, explains to AFP Alexandre Neuvy, head of private management at Amplegest.

The Parisian market had "not been able to take into account the negative points in the publication of Amazon" which announced Thursday evening that it would spend 4 billion dollars in the management of the health crisis, specifies the expert.

"There is also this tendency to sell on each rebound", to take profits, in "a market which remains nervous in general" he continues, while spectacular gains were recorded by the financial centers in April.

Be that as it may, "you cannot draw conclusions from one or two sessions," he observed.

- Sanofi only value saved -

The global giant of shopping centers Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield plummeted 9.36% to 48.69 euros, followed by Societe Generale (-7.78% to 13.15 euros).

Total sank 7.18% to 30.49 euros during a session where oil prices remained at low levels.

In the aeronautics sector, Airbus fell by 4.98% to 55 euros and Safran by 7.30% to 78 euros. If necessary, the State "will be there for Airbus", assured Sunday the Minister of Public Accounts Gérald Darmanin, while the Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, announced Monday the launch this week of the review support plans for the aeronautics sector and the automobile industry in France, two of the sectors most threatened by the crisis.

Air France-KLM fell 7.49% to 4.30 euros despite the fact that the European Commission authorized France on Monday to grant support of 7 billion euros to the airline to face the consequences of the crisis coronavirus.

Unique value in the green within the CAC 40, Sanofi increased by 2.38% to 88.42 euros.

© 2020 AFP