On the geopolitical front, the prospect of talks between Israel and Lebanon, which could lead to a truce, is reviving hopes for an agreement to end the conflict with Iran and, more broadly, ease Middle Eastern tensions. An Israeli minister indicated on army radio that Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to hold talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

These diplomatic advances contrast, however, with the reality on the ground, where clashes continue in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. Furthermore, a conference on the maritime navigation initiative in the Strait of Hormuz will be held Friday afternoon at the Elysee Palace, attended by the British Prime Minister.

In the oil market, Brent crude is up 2% at 96.46 USD, while WTI is gaining 1.97% to 92.68 USD.

Stocks on the move

The Paris benchmark index is being supported by Dassault Systèmes (+2.24%) and Saint-Gobain (+2.04%).

Pluxee (+0.43%) is trading in the green; the former Sodexo subsidiary specializing in meal vouchers and gift cards reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) - its primary profitability metric - that exceeded analyst expectations for the first half of the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

Conversely, Kering (-2.48%), L'Oréal (-0.92%), and Hermès (-0.52%) are among the steepest decliners. Kering is extending the previous day's retreat following its quarterly sales release, despite the presentation of a new strategic plan aimed at reviving growth.

Pernod Ricard (-0.12%), which posted third-quarter results that beat expectations, nevertheless warned that the conflict in the Middle East would weigh on full-year revenue.

Elsewhere in Europe, Tesco (+1.82%) is trending higher amid a cautious outlook.

EasyJet is retreating by 4% after warning that it expects a wider pre-tax loss in the first half, driven by surging fuel prices and increased provisions for litigation.

On the macroeconomic front, the Eurozone consumer price index rose by 1.3% in March, compared to an expected 1.2% and following a 0.6% increase the previous month. Year-on-year, inflation stands at 2.6%, 0.1 percentage points higher than forecast and 0.7 points above the February figure.

In the foreign exchange market, the euro is down 0.21% at 1.1782 USD.