The Paris Bourse registered a new annual record
After a brief slump earlier this week, the Paris Stock Exchange resumed its forward march. The ACC has actually won 0.64%, to 4 057.70 points, reaching its highest level in 18 months. Sign of the return of investors, the volumes are recovering. More than 3 billion euro changed hands on the great values of the Paris stock exchange.
Other major European markets have also hoisted the green flag. In Frankfurt the Dax gained 0.76% and the FTSE in London was awarded 0.60%.
Even mood on Wall Street, where the Dow Jones advanced 0.56% and the Nasdaq by 0.94% at the same time.
First major U.S. company's high-tech industry to publish its quarterly results, the giant Intel microprocessors has almost quadrupled its earnings. Title flew more than 3% on Wall Street, where it swept away the whole sector.In Paris, Cap Gemini, ST Microelectronics and Alcatel Lucent took the lead in the ACC 40.
"Ideal scenario"
Another announcement eagerly awaited by the markets, the results of JPMorgan Chase, the first major Wall Street firm to disclose its accounts for the first quarter. And, again, this is good news. The New York bank announced a profit of 3.3 billion, thanks mainly to income from the investment bank.
Moreover, statistics of retail sales and consumer prices in March were pleasantly surprised. Thus, already after one year of catching up, including six months of strong rebound, retail sales have also soared by 1.6% in March. On a year they will climb by 7.6%, regaining the heights of January 2006. For Marc Touati, chief strategist at Global Equities, "it is an ideal scenario now facing the U.S. economy."The growth is increasing, but inflation does not slip" he notes. In fact, in March, consumer prices rose only 0.1% or 2.3% over one year. Excluding energy and food, inflation is even wiser since only 1.1% in March over a year, against 1.3% in February.