Paris (AFP)

The Paris Bourse tempered its rise (+ 0.11%) Thursday at mid-session, caution regaining the upper hand ahead of the ECB's monetary policy decision, which investors were hoping for a comment on the recent rise in bond yields .

Around 12:34 p.m. (11:34 a.m. GMT), the Paris index took 6.35 points to 5,996.90 points, dropping below the threshold of 6,000 points that it had crossed at the opening for the first time since February 21, 2020. The day before , the flagship Parisian index rose 1.11%, signing a third consecutive session in the green.

"Investors welcome the adoption in the United States of Joe Biden's vast stimulus plan of 1.9 trillion dollars," notes Franklin Pichard, CEO of Kiplink Finance.

US President Joe Biden will speak this Thursday to defend his gigantic program to support the economy, on the eve of its promulgation expected Friday.

In Europe, "operators are now awaiting the ECB's monetary decision, its latest economic projections and comments from Christine Lagarde," whose press conference begins at 2:30 pm, continues Mr. Pichard.

"The look of the president of the institution on the inflationary risk will be particularly expected, as will the evolution of the bond market and the euro against the dollar," he adds.

Since the last ECB meeting in January, the inflation rate has climbed to 0.9% in January and February in the euro zone, exceeding expectations.

For now, the wait-and-see attitude dominated the debt market on both sides of the Atlantic, with the US ten-year rate hovering around 1.50% after rising above 1.60% in recent days. .

In the United States, weekly claims for unemployment benefits are on the menu of the day.

EDF on the rise

EDF shares rose 6.17% to 10.50 euros as negotiations with the European Commission on the Hercules restructuring project for the group entered their final phase, AFP learned Thursday from sources familiar with the matter.

EURAZEO in shape

The group took first place in the SBF 120 thanks to a jump of 8.76% to 66.40 euros, driven by a clear increase in its assets under management and by net assets revalued to their all-time high. , although the investment company finished in the red in 2020.

Annus horribilis for JCDECAUX

The French giant of the advertising display lost on the other hand 5.86% to 19.77 euros after having lived in 2020 "the most difficult year in its history" with its first net loss, to the tune of 605 million euros .

NEOEN to the trouble

The renewable energy producer fell 7.06% to 44.10 euros, weighed down by a net profit practically divided by 10 to reach 3.9 million euros in 2020.

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