Across the Atlantic, amid a relative easing of crude oil prices, U.S. indices are also trading higher, with the Nasdaq advancing 1.24% around 5:45 p.m.

Tensions on the 17th day of the conflict have not dissipated. Far from it. Donald Trump indicated that the United States had struck more than 7,000 targets, primarily commercial and military. "There are very few strikes left to anticipate," the White House resident hammered home, estimating that "Iran has almost no ammunition left."

The U.S. Treasury Secretary stated that Washington did not oppose the passage of certain Iranian, Indian, and Chinese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. In this context, WTI fell by more than 3% to 95.22 USD and Brent by 1.89%, while remaining above the 100 USD mark (101.93 USD).

Central banks in the spotlight

Numerous central bank meetings are expected this week, including the Fed (Wednesday) and the ECB (Thursday), as well as the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, and the Swiss National Bank.

"The Federal Reserve is expected to keep rates unchanged in March, in a context marked by persistent inflation and uncertainties related to the situation in the Middle East. The quarterly update of the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) could reflect a more hawkish stance from the FOMC: while the majority of its members remain focused on inflationary risks, more officials could move away from anticipating a rate cut this year," says François Rimeu, senior strategist at Crédit Mutuel AM.

Regarding the ECB, economists at Nomura forecast two rate hikes by 2028. "With growth exceeding its potential, we see risks of hikes this year due to the conflict in Iran."

On the statistical front, industrial production in the United States rose by 0.2% in February, following a 0.7% increase in January. Analysts had expected a 0.1% rise. Furthermore, manufacturing activity in the New York region recorded a surprise decline in March: the Empire State index fell to -0.2, after +7.1 in February and a consensus of +3.9.

In China, statistics proved to be quite solid. Industrial production rose by 6.3% year-on-year over the January-February period, following a 5.2% increase in December, exceeding the 5% expected. "However, the structural challenges facing the Chinese economy remain very much present. The real estate crisis persists: prices continue to fall in most major cities in January-February, while housing inventories are at their highest. Although the unemployment rate continues to hover around 5%, the labor market remains degraded, particularly among young people. Confidence indices remain weighed down and households still prioritize savings," emphasizes Jean-Thomas Heissat, strategist at CPR AM.

Exail in orbit

In corporate news, as some specialists fear the mining of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, Exail (+8%) finished at the top of the SBF 120 index, with investors hailing the group's expertise in underwater demining. Its UMIS system allows for the detection and neutralization of mines without human intervention in the danger zone.

Abivax jumped more than 5%, supported by a note from Jefferies, which initiated coverage of the stock with a buy recommendation and a price target of 160 USD.

In Europe, the Italian bank UniCredit (+0.54%) is set to launch a public exchange offer for Commerzbank (+8%) in order to cross the 30% ownership threshold of the German bank, without aiming for a significantly higher stake.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro is up 0.40% to 1.1486 USD.