The Paris Bourse ended the session with a gain of 0.68%, at 7,677 points, driven upwards by Capgemini (+6.8%), Thales (+4%) and Schneider (+1.9%).

Yesterday, US inflation figures - slightly less favorable than expected - served as a pretext for a few profit releases, and were accompanied by a sudden tightening of rates.

After breaking through 4.315% on Tuesday evening, US 10-year T-Bonds eased very slightly (-2.5pts) to around 4.29%, while German Bunds of the same maturity also eased -2.5pts to 2.35%.

According to CME's Fedwatch survey, the probability of a first rate cut as early as next month fell sharply among market participants, to 8.5% compared with 76.9% a month earlier.

Christopher Dembik, Investment Strategy Consultant at Pictet Asset Management, believes that yesterday's statistics should not be over-interpreted. According to the professional, 'the disinflation process is still well underway on the other side of the Atlantic'.

On the 'macro' front, CVS industrial production rose by 2.6% in the eurozone and the EU from November to December 2023, according to Eurostat, the European Union's statistical office.

Meanwhile, in the fourth quarter of 2023, seasonally-adjusted GDP remained stable in the eurozone and rose by 0.1% in the EU, compared with the previous quarter, according to the preliminary flash estimate published by Eurostat.

Still on the statistics front, data published by the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) showed that US crude oil inventories stood at 439.5 million barrels in the week to February 5, up 12 million barrels on the previous week's level.

Against this backdrop, the euro gained 0.2% against the greenback to $1.072, gold fell back to $1992 (-1.3%) and Brent crude oil was stable at $82.6 a barrel.

In French company news, M6 announced Nicolas de Tavernost's decision to step down as Chairman of the Management Board before August 22, 2025, when he will reach the age limit, and the appointment of David Larramendy as his successor, following the AGM on April 23, 2024.

For 2023, Capgemini reported increases of 7% in net income, Group share, to 1.66 billion euros, and 8% in normalized earnings per share, to 12.44 euros, for an operating margin of 13.3%, up 30 basis points.

Air Liquide is aiming for a new record in 2023 by signing 62 new small gas production units, installed directly on its customers' sites, in the industrial merchant and electronics sectors.

Lastly, Poujoulat posted sales down 9.4% to 272.3 million euros for the first nine months of its financial year, the 17.4% drop in 'chimney flues and industrial chimneys' not having been offset by a 2.8% increase in 'wood energy'.

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