Paris (AFP)

The Paris Bourse was preparing on Friday to complete a third consecutive week of increase, increasing by 0.52% at midday, helped by a context of general optimism on the possibility of coming out soon from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Parisian CAC 40 index advanced 28.62 points to 5,503.28 points around 1:00 p.m. (12:00 p.m. GMT), and rose by some 2.29% over the week.

The index has so far taken 19.8% since November 1, on its way to its best month in more than thirty years.

The stock markets in Europe were not left out: + 0.41% in Frankfurt, + 0.51% in London, + 0.58% in Madrid and + 0.95% in Milan.

They also posted very strong performances over the month, between 13% and 23%, in the wake of the US presidential election and announcements of effective vaccine candidates against Covid-19.

Regarding lockdowns across Europe, "we hear that some restrictions could be partially lifted" in the coming weeks, said David Madden, analyst at CMC Markets UK, to justify the current optimism in the markets.

"From a political point of view, no government wants to confiscate Christmas, so the prevailing feeling is that travel could be simplified next month," he adds.

By touches, the French executive begins to draw the outlines of a deconfinement from December 1 which promises to be very "gradual" in order to avoid a new lockdown of the country in 2021.

France is, however, still "far from deconfinement," government spokesman Gabriel Attal warned on Wednesday.

On the vaccine side, the process that should lead to an upcoming marketing of one or more products is continuing.

On the project developed by the Pfizer / BioNTech alliance, an emergency authorization request should be filed this Friday in the United States, according to US Secretary of Health Alex Azar.

The EU could give the green light from mid-December to Moderna and Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines, the President of the European Commission announced on Thursday.

It is "possible" to obtain an authorization and a distribution of the vaccine during the month of December, both in the USA and in the EU, assured for his part the founder of BioNTech, Ugur Sahin, in an interview with AFP .

BLACK FRIDAY PUSHES BACK?

FNAC DARTY took 0.95% to 44.40 euros, and CARREFOUR lost 0.92% to 14.01 euros, with the prospect of a week shift of the major promotional operation of "Black Friday".

The final decision could be taken at a meeting scheduled for Friday at 3:00 p.m. in Bercy.

THYSSENKRUPP COMES BACK

The title of the German conglomerate recovers (+ 5.68% to 5.01 euros) the day after the shock announcement of the elimination of 5,000 additional jobs in the steel branch, bringing the total to 11,000 jobs

SUEZ / VEOLIA, SUITES

The Nanterre Commercial Court on Thursday prohibited SUEZ (+ 0.77% to 16.26 euros) from making irrevocable until the end of its next general meeting a legal arrangement aimed at dissuading VEOLIA (+ 2.45% at 18.81 euros) to carry out his takeover bid.

© 2020 AFP