The French Blue Chip stock index the CAC 40 closed the last day of the year down 0.9% to 5,565 and down 7.1% for 2020. The CAC recovered from the panic selling in March to a 4-year low on the back of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. France’s stocks were well off the record highs seen in Germany and the US in 2020 but performed better than the UK and Spain.
The French Blue Chip stock index the CAC 40 closed the last day of the year down 0.9% to 5,565 and down 7.1% for 2020. The CAC recovered from the panic selling in March to a 4-year low on the back of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. France’s stocks were well off the record highs seen in Germany and the US in 2020 but performed better than in the UK and Spain.
The CAC 40 closed on New Year’s Eve at 5.565 points, a loss of 7.1% for 2020
The CAC 40 bottomed in March at a 4-year low as sentiment has been supported by the massive fiscal and monetary policy support globally and more recently the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines and a post-Brexit trade deal atyear end. However major concerns about the impact of current restrictive measures amid a new strain of coronavirus traced to South Africa and the UK have been limiting gains.
How Global Indices fared in 2020
- In the U.S. the S&P 500 and Dow closed at record levels at the year end.
- The tech heavy Nasdaq led the charge in 2020 up 43.64%, the largest gain since 2009
- S&P was up 16.26%. Since 2010 the S&P is up 240%, though 57% of the gain in the S&P was from just three stocks Microsoft, Amazon and Apple
- The Dow is closed up 7.25% after being down most tof the year, the DJIA was down over -36% at the March low
- In Europe the best performer was the German DAX which rose +3.6% for the year.
- Spain’s IBEX 30 was an even worse performer than the FTSE 100 down -15.5%.
- Italy’s MIB fell -5.4%,
- The French CAC 40 fell -7.1%
- The British FTSE 100 dumped. -14.3%
- The Australian ASX 200 Stock Market Closed Down 1.5% in 2020
- Japan’s Nikkei gained 16%,
- China’s Shanghai composite rose ripped 14% during 2020.
The euro however rallied against the US dollar as massive US QE weakened the dollar and relief that the UK-EU free trade deal had been agreed boosted the euro. The stronger euro helped soften losses for overseas investors in the French stock market.
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