The Paris stock market gained almost 0.7%, and the CAC40 even climbed to 7,347pts, its best weekly close since February 17.
The Frankfurt stock market is well ahead of the European markets with +1.4%, following the release of reassuring business figures this morning.
With just ten points to go, a slightly more sustained rise in US indices could make it the 22nd week of gains for the European markets.
Optimism had returned to Wall Street late last night after Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said that 'a gradual mindset is the appropriate course of action for the central bank', before adding 'stick to a quarter-point rate hike for the March 22 meeting', reports Wells Fargo.

R. Bostic's stance at least shows that the debate remains open within the Fed.

Bond yields are easing a little this Friday, following the new record highs set by French OATs and German Bunds the previous day.
Our OATs are down 6pts at 3.185%, Bunds 5.5pts at 2.698%, Italian BTPs 10pts at 4.532%.

Yet the day's figures demonstrate the robustness of our economy: the S&P Global composite PMI for overall activity in France returned to the expansion zone, rising from 49.1 in January to 51.7 in February, after three consecutive months of contraction.

However, this rebound in activity was based entirely on the strong performance of the services sector, with manufacturing production recording its biggest decline since October 2022. This performance at least temporarily removes the risk of recession on the Old Continent.

Still on the French statistical front, in January, production fell over the month in both manufacturing (-1.8% after +0.2%) and industry as a whole (-1.9% after +1.5%), according to seasonally and working-day adjusted data (CVS-CJO).

Insee, which published these figures, highlights a sharp downturn in transport equipment (-6.7% after +8%), particularly in other transport equipment (-9.5%, after +13.5%) and more moderately in automobiles (-2.6%, after +0.9%).

In the eurozone, the S&P Global composite PMI index for overall activity rose from 50.3 in January to 52.0 in February, signalling continued growth in eurozone activity, with the pace of expansion also being the strongest since June 2022.

Investors are now awaiting the release of the ISM services index in the USA at 4:00 pm. Experts expect the ISM to remain in expansionary territory, despite a slight dip.
The day's good figures are not helping oil to confirm its positive trend of the last 48 hours: Brent crude is down -1% to $83.6 in London.

In French company news, geosciences group CGG (+7%) has announced net income of $43 million for 2022, compared with a net loss of $180 million in 2021, as well as adjusted operating income up 88% to $147 million, representing a margin of 16%.

Bonduelle reports a 35.3% increase in net income from continuing operations to 14.4 million euros for the first half of FY 2022-23, and a 94 basis point improvement in recurring operating margin to 3.5%.

Finally, Ipsen announces the completion of the acquisition of Albireo Pharma, a leading innovator in the field of bile acid modulators for the treatment of rare liver diseases, an acquisition announced in January.

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