CAC 40 Inches Higher As Middle East Worries Ease

(RTTNews) - French stocks rose on Monday as Middle East tensions eased, and investors looked ahead to a busy week of earnings, economic data and central bank decisions.

Israel stepped up ground attacks on Hamas targets in Gaza but held back from a full-on incursion, helping ease concerns over a wider conflict.

The benchmark CAC 40 was up 27 points, or 0.4 percent, at 6,823 after tumbling 1.4 percent on Friday.

Among the prominent gainers, AXA, Alstom and Dassault Systemes rose 1-3 percent.

ArcelorMittal shares slumped 4.4 percent. At least 32 people were killed Saturday when a fire broke out at a mine in Kazakhstan belonging to the global steel giant.