The flagship CAC 40 index advanced 8.45 points to 7,324.75 points, a day after a decline of 0.39%.

On Friday and Monday, the French market, like other European stock exchanges, will remain closed for the Easter weekend.

Over the week the CAC 40 shows an evolution of +0.03%.

Yann Azuelos, fund manager at Mirabaud, notes a "caution before the long Easter weekend, which explains a very soft session".

The market is also "waiting for the employment report in the United States, which will give a little more volatility," he adds.

Investors had been hoping for months for signs of easing in the U.S. labor market and an economic slowdown to see an end to the Federal Reserve's (Fed) rate hike cycles, a scenario that is getting closer, according to Yann Azuelos.

However, several weaker-than-expected economic indicators raise concerns because they pose a risk of economic contraction.

The coming days' data on US employment and inflation will be decisive in determining whether or not the US central bank (Fed) will raise its key interest rate by another 25 basis points at its next meeting in May.

"Next week will be more sporty," confirms Yann Azuelos.

Luxury weighs

Luxury values weighed on the CAC 40 trend.

The share of the luxury group Kering lost 1.79% to 555.40 euros, penalized by a note from RBC that anticipates a lower growth than that of its peers for the first quarter.

The shares of LVMH (-1.84% to 829.10 euros) and cosmetics giant L'Oréal (-3.21% to 410.10 euros) also declined.

TotalEnergies under climate pressure

A coalition of investors led by shareholder activism organization Follow This plans to table a consultative resolution at the TotalEnergies Group's shareholders' meeting to "align its reduction targets" of greenhouse gas emissions with the Paris Agreement for 2030. The share gained 0.63% to 57.50 euros.

Airbus on Chinese soil

Airbus will double its production capacity of A320 family aircraft on Chinese soil, announced Thursday the executive chairman of the European aircraft manufacturer Guillaume Faury. Its title rose by 1.45% to 126.18 euros.

© 2023 AFP