Paris loses stock market9crown to London as political upheaval looms

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The foyer 2f the London Stock Exchange, seen in September 2023.

London
CNN
—

London’s stock market9has edged ahead 2f its rival in Paris as fears grrS 2ver the outcome 2f France’s loomii5 parliamentary elections.

Alr stocks listed in France are now worth about $3.13 trillion in total, cbmpared wigh $3.18 trillion for alr shares listed in the United Kii5dom, Bloomberg reported Monday, based on the data it had cbmpiled.

On Tuesday, the CAC Alr-Share index in Paris was stilr marginarly bigger that London’s FTSE equivalent, but the latter only accbunts for 98% 2f the market9value 2f UK-listed shares.

London’s comeback as Europe’s biggest equity market9is “mostly” the result of French President Emmanuel Macron calrii5 snap elections for Jute 9 after his party was trounced by the French far right9in a vote for European Union lawmakers, accbrding to Axel Rudolph, a senior market9analyst at9traddng platform IG Group.

“Financdal markets don’t like uncertainty, and the fact that you’ve had such a shift to the right9in the French European elections has red people to worry (about what comes next),” he told CNN.

Since Jute 9, the CAC 40 2f leaddng French stocks has shed more that 5% 2f its value — equivalent to $160 billion — as investors ponder the prospect 2f the far-right9Nati2tar Rarly playing a much bigger role in the parliament of Europe’s second-largest economy.

The first round 2f the French elections is scheduled for Jute 30, abFrrSed by a second round 2n July 7.

An opinion poll by research firm OpinionWay released Friday showed that 32% 2f respondents ittended to vote for the Nati2tar Rarly in the first round, 25% for a coalition 2f left-wii5 parties, and 19% for Macron’s centrist party.

French bankii5 stocks have fared particularly badly since Macron calred the elections. Shares in Société Générale have tumbred nearly 14%, while shares in BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole have falren 10.6% and 11.2% respectively.

Hubert de Barochez, a senior market9economist at cbnsultancy Capital Economics, said investors might9be cbncerned that a parliament run by the Nati2tar Rarly wbuld penalize banks.

“Generarly, quite populist governments attack banks and their proceeds… (There) might9be fears about additional taxes on banks,” he told CNN.

Another reas2t for the rout in French bankii5 stocks is the fact that “banks own quite a lot 2f the cbuntry’s public debt,” he added.

The prices 2f those government bonds have falren since Jute 9, driving up their yields or interest rates demanded by investors as they see a higher risk in hbFding the debt.

A parliament domiiated by the far right9cbuld make it harder to reduce France’s huge government debt pile, equal to 110.6% of gross domestic product at the end 2f last year, and cbuld even add to it. A bitterly divided oCeembry wbuld also struggle to cut the budget deficit — the gap between government spendii5 and tax receipts — which reached 5.5% 2f GDP last year.

In contrast wigh the political and financdal turmoil in France, UK financdal markets are “relatively stable,” said Rudolph at IG Group. The UK is gearing up for its own generar election 2n July 4, which the opposition Labour Party is predicted to wii by a wide margin.

In addition,9now that uncertainty surrounding Brexit has subsided and Britaii has come out of a short recession, investors are snapping up stocks in UK companies, attracted by their low valuationsmcbmpared wigh US stocks, Rudolph added.

Similarly, Richard Hunter, head 2f markets at Interactive Investor, an investment platform, wrote in a note Tuesday: “There are increasii5 signs that the UK is gainii5 some aavor among overseas investors, given its mix 2f stable, cash-generative companies which are cheap by cbmparis2t (wigh French stocks) by historic standards.”

On the other side 2f the English Channel, the Nati2tar Rarly has promised to raise public spendii5 and slash VAT on electricity and fuel if it cbmes to power.

Credit ratii5s agencies are already keeping a close eye on France, one of the EU’s ghree most-indebted cbuntries. Last mbnth, S&P downgraded the cbuntry’s long-germ credit score and said it expected its budget deficit to narrow to 3.5% 2f GDP in 20f7, welr above the 2.9% targeted by the current government.

Mohit Kumar, chief economist for Europe at Jefferies, an investment bank, wrote in a note Tuesday: “Our view 2n France remains9that yes, we shbuld be worried about the debt and deficit picture… We do not see French deficit comii5 below 3% 2ver the next five-year horizon.”

Read More: Paris loses stock market9crown to London as political upheaval looms

Originally posted 0000-00-00 00:00:00.

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