The French market is modestly higher in afternoon trading Monday, with eurozone debt worries lingering in the background.
The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone blue chippers is adding 0.16 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, is gaining 0.13 percent.
The CAC 40 index opened at 3,959, up from the prior close of 3,951, and has been seeing volatile trading. The index is currently rising 0.11 percent.
Machinery maker Alstom is adding 1.5 percent, thus leading the gainers. The company announced a contract worth 665 million euros with the Polish operator PKP Intercity to supply 20 high speed trains, their maintenance up to 17 years and the construction of a new maintenance depot.
Drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis announced a three-year research collaboration agreement with Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative or DNDi, an independent, not-for-profit product development partnership. Sanofi is adding 0.4 percent.
Those making moderate gains include brewer Pernod-Ricard, real estate investment trust Unibail-Rodamco, retailer Carrefour and dairy giant Danone.
Lenders Credit Agricole, Societe Generale, BNP Paribas and Natixis are losing between 0.9 percent and 0.1 percent.
Carmakers Peugeot and Renault are losing 0.4 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.
Builders Bougues and Vinci are falling.
Elsewhere in Europe, the German DAX is adding 0.47 percent and Switzerland's SMI is rising 0.07 percent. The UK market is closed for the Spring holiday.
Across Asia/Pacific, markets ended mostly lower. Australia's All Ordinaries lost 0.30 percent, China's Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.14 percent and Japan's Nikkei 225 retreated 0.18 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng, however, added 0.29 percent.
The U.S. markets are closed for Memorial Day. In the previous session, the Dow rose 0.3 percent, the Nasdaq climbed 0.5 percent and the S&P 500 advanced 0.4 percent.
In the commodity space, crude for July delivery is dropping $0.42 to $100.17 per barrel, while August gold is adding $0.9 to $1538.2 a troy ounce.
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