French stocks experienced a decrease on Monday amidst significant ambiguity regarding the future of U.S. interest rates. The U.S. jobs data, which was released last Friday, presented mixed results that failed to significantly alter the market's belief that the Federal Reserve will commence raising interest rates in June.
In contrast, a more muted forecast for inflation and economic growth has left investors with growing confidence that the European Central Bank (ECB) may stand out among international counterparts by reducing rates in June. Consequently, the pivotal CAC 40 fell by 20 points, or 0.3 percent, landing at 8,008 after having previously increased by 0.2 percent on Friday.
Meanwhile, the dollar weakened in trading while gold reached unprecedented highs. The focus is now shifting towards the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) and producer inflation data scheduled for release this week, as its influence could adjust the Federal Reserve's interest rate path.
