French stocks remained relatively steady on Monday, despite the release of a series of data from China that provided a somewhat mixed portrayal of the state of the world's second-largest economy.
Forecasts for the first two months of 2024 were exceeded by the latest figures on Chinese industrial output, retail sales, and fixed asset investment. However, property investment saw a decrease, unemployment figures surprisingly increased, and the new bank loans data for February underperformed. These outcomes are fueling expectations that policymakers will introduce additional stimulus measures to nurture stability in economic growth.
On Friday, the CAC 40 benchmark concluded with a slight positive bias, barely changing yet decreasing by 11 points or 0.1 percent to 8,153 points. Stocks linked with China, such as LVMH and Kering, experienced a dip, falling by half a percent and 1.8 percent respectively.
Later in the day, key inflation data from the Eurozone is expected to be released.
