Paris (AFP)

The Paris Bourse fell 0.91% in early trading on Friday, affected by the decline on Wall Street the day before amid a further rise in interest rates, and before the publication of a report on US employment in the day.

Around 9:15 am, the Parisian index lost 52.90 points to 5,777.75 points, the day after a close to equilibrium (+ 0.01%).

Strong tension arose again on Thursday on the yield on ten-year US Treasuries, which closed a year-high at 1.56%.

Investors found a speech by the head of the American Central Bank Jerome Powell uncomfortable, brushing aside inflationary fears.

Worried, Wall Street fell, with the Dow Jones losing 1.11%, the Nasdaq 2.11% and the S&P 500 1.34%.

"If it was a question of testing the sensitivity of the markets in the run-up to the next FOMC (the monetary policy meeting, editor's note) on March 16 and 17, it is done. These are obviously , pending action ", reacts Véronique Riches-Flores, of the firm Riches Flores Research.

Despite the general feeling of concern, the situation is far from alarmist for the time being, both on interest rates, still at historically very low levels, and on recent stock market declines.

The CAC 40 index has remained up 4% since the start of the year and Wall Street has been broadly stable since January 1, except for the Nasdaq index which loses 1.28% after an increase of 43% in 2020.

Traditionally monitored, especially since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the US monthly employment report could give the market a whole new direction in the afternoon.

Among the other indicators of the day, the French trade deficit was stable at 3.7 billion euros in January, the lowest since June 2016.

The heckled techs

Worldline lost 1.32% to 70.10 euros, STMicroelectronics 0.48% to 29.11 euros, Dassault Systèmes 1.23% to 169.00 euros.

Tech stocks retreated in the wake of the plunge Thursday of the Nasdaq index with strong technological coloring.

CGG digs its losses

The oil services group (-3.67% to 1.04 euros) increased its losses in 2020 under the effect of the oil crisis which followed the pandemic but is counting on a gradual recovery of the market this year.

Profit reduction for Dassault Aviation

The aircraft manufacturer (-2.22% to 926 euros) saw its net profit plummet by 57% in 2020, to 303 million euros, under the effect of the Covid-19 crisis that hit its aviation activity business and reduced deliveries of Rafale fighter jets.

Suez smiles at Veolia

The group (-0.68% to 17.47 euros) scored a point Thursday in its legal war with Veolia (-0.81% to 22.10 euros), in a file concerning a legal arrangement intended to thwart the project of its great rival to redeem it.

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