Paris (AFP)

The Paris Bourse lost ground on Friday at mid-session (-0.16%), struggling to ignore the American depression in the aftermath of a further fall in indices on Wall Street and a focused European Central Bank meeting on the euro and inflation.

Around 12 p.m. (10 a.m. GMT), the Paris index fell 8.08 points to 5,015.85 points.

It had already fallen the day before at the close of 0.38%.

After leading the American indices to historic highs, the major technology groups in the United States experienced a chaotic start to September with the plunge in their shares on the stock market.

These declines have an effect on all European markets which have been nervously watching Wall Street since the start of the school year.

European indices were mixed on the subject on Friday, with the German Dax losing 0.31% while the FTSE 100 in London took 0.32%.

Still on the American side, "investors did not appreciate the failure yesterday in the Senate of a new aid program of around $ 500 billion proposed by the Republicans," says John Plassard, investment specialist for Mirabaud Securities.

This plan must be added to an arsenal of measures to support the American economy, initiated by the government as well as the Central Bank.

These decisions have resulted in the US currency falling sharply against the euro in recent months.

"It's a perfect environment for a weakening dollar," notes Didier Saint-Georges, member of Carmignac's strategic investment committee, which is betting on a continued decline in the currency.

The European Central Bank took up the issue Thursday at a press conference, claiming to "carefully monitor" the level of the European currency, without showing any marked concern.

A strong euro is likely to hamper economic activity and limit price increases, by making imports cheaper.

"But for the moment the message is clear: + no change +", say analysts at Aurel BGC.

AMONG THE SECTORS ON FRIDAY

NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE

The pan-European stock exchange operator Euronext (+ 1.90% to 101.90 euros), which notably manages the Paris market, on Friday formalized negotiations to buy the Milan Stock Exchange from London Stock Exchange Group (+ 1.73% to 9.044.00 pence), in association with the Italian Caisse des Dépôts.

ACCOR OUT, ALSTOM IN

The railway manufacturer Alstom (+ 1.36% to 46.16 euros) will enter the flagship index of the Paris Bourse, the CAC 40, instead of the hotel group Accor (-3.50% to 25.09 euros), put in difficulty by the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis.

ALTICE BONDIT IN AMSTERDAM

On the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, Altice Europe jumped 24.06% to 4.12 euros while billionaire Patrick Drahi wants to buy the balance of the capital of the telecoms and media group and withdraw it from the Netherlands Stock Exchange.

© 2020 AFP