The French market is marginally higher in afternoon trading Thursday, as sentiment was boosted by firm Asian cues, amid reports that the Chinese government may buy Portuguese bailout bonds when the auction begins next month.
The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone blue chippers is losing 0.09 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, is falling 0.12 percent.
After opening higher at 3,937, compared to the previous close of 3,929, the CAC 40 index dipped into negative territory in early afternoon, but is currently adding 0.08 percent.
Michelin is rising about 1 percent. JPMorgan raised its price target on the tire maker to 82 euros from 63 euros.
Oil & gas services provider Technip and hotel group Accor are rising 2.8 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.
Lender Credit Agricole is losing 2.9 percent. BNP Paribas is up 1 percent and Natixis and Societe Generale are moderately higher.
Luxury goods conglomerate LVMH is losing 1.4 percent after Burberry Group said in London that it expects to deliver a modest improvement in operating margin in 2012.
Car manufacturers Peugeot and Renault are moderately lower.
Cement giant Lafarge and builder Bouygues are trading lower. Vinci and Saint-Gobain are gaining.
Elsewhere in Europe, the German DAX is losing 0.30 percent. The UK's FTSE 100 is up 0.41 percent and Switzerland's SMI is adding 0.10 percent.
In economic news, German import price inflation eased more than expected in April, data from the Federal Statistical Office showed. The rate of inflation in import prices slowed to 9.4 percent in April from 11.3 percent in March. Economists had expected the rate to ease to 9.9 percent.
Meanwhile, French consumer confidence improved marginally in May, a monthly survey by the statistical office Insee revealed. The headline measure of consumer confidence rose to 84 in May from 83 in April. The reading matched economists' forecast.
Across Asia/Pacific, most major markets ended higher. Australia's All Ordinaries added 1.58 percent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.67 percent and Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.48 percent. However, China's Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.24 percent.
In the U.S., futures point to a cautious open on Wall Street. In the previous session, major averages pulled back off their highs going into the close but remained in positive territory. The Dow closed up 0.3 percent, the Nasdaq rose 0.6 percent and the S&P 500 advanced 0.3 percent.
In the commodity space, crude for July delivery is sliding $0.39 to $100.93 per barrel and June gold is dropping $4.3 to $1522.4 a troy ounce.
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May 08, 2026 15:50 ET Manufacturing and services sector survey results and labor market data from main economies were the highlight on the economics news front this week. Factory orders and jobs report dominated the news flow in the U.S. Similarly, industrial production data from German garnered attention in Europe. In Asia, purchasing managers’ survey results from China and the central bank decision from Australia were in focus.