Paris, May 20, 2026 – The Paris Stock Exchange ended Wednesday with a significant increase, buoyed by optimism surrounding a potential resolution to the Middle East conflict, which consequently caused a sharp decline in oil prices. The flagship index of the Paris Stock Exchange, the CAC 40, closed up 1.70% at 8,117.42 points. The previous day, the Parisian index had ceded 0.07% to 7,981.76 points.
Investor Optimism Rekindled by Middle East Developments
Investors regained their optimism and appetite for risk following statements from US President Donald Trump, who asserted that negotiations with Tehran to find a solution to the Middle East conflict have entered their “final phase.”
“We will see what happens. Either we reach an agreement, or we will take somewhat tougher measures. But I hope that will not happen,” he told a pool of journalists in Washington.
Nvidia’s Results Awaited with ‘Systemic’ Importance for Wall Street
In parallel, markets are awaiting the results of tech giant Nvidia, the world’s largest capitalization, which is scheduled to publish its first-quarter performance after the close of Wall Street.
“Nvidia’s results are taking on an almost systemic dimension for Wall Street, as investors need to be reassured about the solidity of the AI dynamic,” underlined John Plassard of Cité Gestion.
“In the imagination of investors, Nvidia’s results would be capable of restarting the engine of this artificial intelligence ecosystem on the stock market,” also noted Guillaume Chaloin, director of equity management at Delubac AM.
Pending the publication, “the winners of artificial intelligence are the leading stocks,” he added.
Semiconductor and Electrification Companies Lead the Gains
- The micro-processor manufacturer STMicroelectronics led the CAC 40, gaining 5.98% to 55.27 euros.
- Soitec surged by 10.37% to 158 euros.
Electrification and data center equipment companies also benefited from the momentum:
- Schneider Electric climbed 3.44% to 264.60 euros.
- Legrand rose 3.85% to 151.20 euros.
Euronext Praised After Strong Q1 Results
The shares of the pan-European stock exchange operator Euronext ended with a jump of 5.20% to 147.60 euros, following the publication of first-quarter results that exceeded analysts’ consensus expectations.
The group reported a net profit of 192.3 million euros, up 16.7%, compared to 178.6 million expected by analysts cited by Bloomberg. Operating profit reached 339 million, against 324.8 million expected.
