With the European Central Bank's monetary policy decision looming tomorrow, European stock markets are expected to open cautiously this Wednesday. Investors remain concerned about the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence across several key sectors. On the data front, eurozone markets will be watching for the January composite PMI at 10:00 am, followed by inflation figures for the same month at 11:00 am. In company news, Crédit Agricole posted a stable net profit in 2025 (-0.2%) at 7.07 billion euros. Its revenues rose 3.3% year-on-year, reaching 28.07 billion euros.

Stocks to Watch

Crédit Agricole
Crédit Agricole SA reported group net income (RNPG) stable at -0.2%, totaling 7.07 billion euros for 2025, with risk costs rising by 6.6% to 1.97 billion euros, but operating profit up 1.3% to 12.45 billion euros. The banking group saw its cost-to-income ratio worsen by 0.9 points to 55.7%, as operating expenses (+4.9% to 15.63 billion euros) outpaced net banking income (+3.3% to 28.08 billion euros).

Herige
 For the full year 2025, Herige Industries posted sales of 379.4 million euros, down 5.9% compared to 2024 (-5.7% adjusted for calendar effects). "This evolution reflects overall resilience in a market still marked by fragile recovery signals," explained the group, which specializes in wholesale building materials.

Michelin
Michelin announced that its acquisition of Flexitallic is aimed at strengthening its leadership in the sealing segment, in line with the "Michelin in Motion 2030" strategy. The deal is expected to accelerate growth in the Polymer Composite Solutions business, which will soon become a dedicated reporting segment in the group's financial communications.

Soitec
Soitec reported revenue of 160 million euros for the third quarter of its 2026 fiscal year, which ended last December 31, showing sequential growth of 18% at constant scope and exchange rates. However, compared to the same period a year earlier, revenue was down 22%.

Macroeconomic Data

 In France, the S&P Global Composite PMI for January and the Services PMI for January will be released at 9:50 am.

In Germany, the S&P Global Composite PMI for January and the Services PMI for January will be released at 9:55 am.

In the eurozone, the S&P Global Composite PMI for January and the Services PMI will be released at 10:00 am.

In the eurozone, inflation figures for January and producer price data for December will be published at 11:00 am.

The ADP employment report for January in the United States will be released at 2:15 pm.

In the United States, the S&P Global Composite PMI for January will be published at 3:45 pm, followed by the ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI for January at 4:00 pm.

In the United States, crude oil inventory data will be released at 4:30 pm.

As of 8:30 am, the euro was up 0.10% at 1.1829 dollars.

Yesterday in Paris


The Paris stock exchange ended a three-day winning streak that had seen it gain 1.42%. However, the CAC 40 lost only 0.02%, closing at 8,179.50 points. Elsewhere in Europe, indices also ended the day cautiously, except for Amsterdam's AEX, which lost 1.54%. Frankfurt's DAX 40 slipped just 0.09%, closing at 24,775.35 points. In Paris, the day's news was dominated by a slew of corporate earnings and analyst recommendations. Publicis finished at the bottom of the CAC 40 with a drop of 9.24% to 78.40 euros, returning to levels not seen since mid-August 2025.

Yesterday on Wall Street

Wall Street ended Tuesday's session in the red, amid corporate earnings and easing volatility in the precious metals market. The partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government led to the postponement of the JOLTS job openings report for December, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday. In stock news, PepsiCo gained 4.93% to $162.85 thanks to quarterly results that exceeded expectations. The Dow Jones lost 0.34% to 49,240.99 points. The Nasdaq fell 1.43% to 23,255.19 points.