The Paris stock market set a new closing record this evening, ending the session at 8089 points (+0.87%), after having set a new intraday record a few minutes earlier at 8094 points.

The US consumer price index (CPI) for February, which is closely watched by the markets, was a disappointment: it rose by 3.2% in February (annualized) and by +0.4% on a monthly basis (after an increase of 0.3% in January). Core inflation, the measure most closely watched by the Fed, rose to 3.8% (annualized) vs. 3.7% expected (and to +0.4% monthly vs. 0.3% hoped for).

But it appears that this is far from being a major market mover: US T-Bonds rallied by +4pts to 4.1480%, our Bunds and OATs by +2 to +2.5pts, which is not very significant.

Against this backdrop, the euro remains stable against the greenback at around $1.09/EUR, Brent crude is steady at around $82.5/barrel, while gold is down 0.6% at $2163/oz.

In other stock news, Accor has signed a share purchase agreement to buy back a block of seven million of its own shares - representing 2.77% of its capital - from Jinjiang International, for 275 million euros.

Nexans has announced the success of a bond issue for a total nominal amount of 350 million euros with a six-year maturity and an annual interest rate of 4.25%, with a diversified base of institutional investors in France and abroad.

Forvia also announced that it had finalized a previously announced senior bond issue for one billion euros, including 500 million maturing in June 2029 at an interest rate of 5.125% and 500 million maturing in June 2031 at an interest rate of 5.50%, bonds listed in Dublin.

While maintaining its 'neutral' position on Teleperformance, UBS has drastically reduced its price target from 137 to 95 euros, a new target that leaves 12% upside potential for the French customer relations outsourcing group's shares.

'Despite a rock-bottom valuation, faster deflation, integration risk and poor visibility on customer decision-making limit the potential for revaluation', judges the broker, for whom the group 'still has a long and uncertain road ahead to reconvince'.

Finally, Alstom has announced that it has been chosen by Le Mans Métropole to extend its existing Citadis streetcars. The 34 32-meter-long Alstom streetcars, acquired successively in 2007, 2010 and 2013, will thus be extended to 44 meters, increasing passenger capacity by 85 passengers per tram.

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