Paris (AFP)

The Paris Bourse kept its distance from risk-taking on Tuesday at mid-session (-0.32%), faced with several bleak news before the start of the corporate earnings season.

The cautious position was in order throughout Europe: around 1:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m. GMT), the Paris index yielded 15.97 points to 4,963.32 points, Frankfurt fell 0.41% and London was sluggish (+0.04 %).

Wall Street was mixed before the opening: the futures contract on the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.33%, that of the S&P 500 was in equilibrium and that on the Nasdaq was up 0.92%.

After a slump linked to a return to school complicated by the pandemic in September, the equity markets had been carried by a renewed hope last week.

But, "investor risk appetite is now on hiatus, following delays and difficulties in developing a vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, as the number of infections continues to rise everywhere," observes Pierre Veyret, analyst at ActivTrades.

"In addition, stock market operators are increasingly disappointed with the inability of the US administration to strike a new deal on new stimulus measures and face the uncertainty of the next presidential election," he continues. he.

Many investors, already facing the economic risks stemming from the health and political crisis in the run-up to the US presidential election, were inclined to be cautious before the start of the third quarter earnings season in the United States.

The morale of German investors fell sharply in October (ZEW barometer) after two consecutive months of strong growth.

The unemployment rate in the United Kingdom continued to rise over the three months ended at the end of August.

In contrast, Chinese imports grew in September by 13.2% over one year, illustrating the economic recovery of the Asian giant.

"During the last sessions, European equities had been driven by hopes of an American recovery plan while the health crisis was relegated to the background, but this time, the pandemic is once again in the foreground", summarizes David Madden, analyst at CMC Markets.

THE AIR BEATS THE WING

Values ​​in the aviation sector were down again on the prospect of further restrictions on activity to counter the spread of the second wave of the novel coronavirus in the UK and elsewhere.

The Rolls-Royce engine manufacturer fell 3.85% to 187.35 pence.

Airlines IAG and Easyjet lost 2.49% to 99.22 pence and 1.21% to 491.90 pence, respectively.

Lufthansa (-1.64% to 7.90 euros) also fell, as did the operator of Frankfurt airport, Fraport (-4.13% to 33.92 euros).

Air France-KLM fell 3.12% to 3.01 euros and Airbus fell 2.68% to 64.22 euros, particularly affected by the effects of the pandemic.

BANKS IN BERNE

The Eurostoxx 50 banking sector lost 2.15% pending the results of US banks before the opening of Wall Street.

In Paris, Societe Generale fell by 2.05% to 12.45 euros, Crédit Agricole by 2.67% to 7.50 euros and BNP Paribas by 2.24% to 32.79 euros.

© 2020 AFP