CAC 40 | Euronext Paris: FCHI | Currency: EUR | Type: Index
Key Statistics
About CAC 40
The CAC 40 is France's headline stock index, covering 40 of the largest and most actively traded companies on Euronext Paris. Global luxury houses, aerospace, energy and banking dominate the index, giving it an unusually international revenue base for a national benchmark. It was launched in 1987 with a base value of 1,000 points.
Instrument Details
| Provider | Euronext |
| Ticker | FCHI |
| Exchange / Market | Euronext Paris |
| Instrument type | Index |
| Quote currency | EUR |
History & Index Methodology
CAC 40 is calculated in real time from the prices of its constituent stocks, typically weighted by free-float market capitalisation so that larger, more liquid companies carry more influence. The constituent list is reviewed periodically by the index provider, with companies added or removed based on size, liquidity and listing criteria. Long-run index history lets analysts compare today's level against decades of market cycles.
Index maintained by: Euronext
Trading Hours
CAC 40 trades 01:30 PM to 10:00 PM IST (09:00–17:30 CET), Monday to Friday. Outside those hours this page shows the last traded level, with change figures measured against the previous official close. All session times are expressed in Indian Standard Time (IST).
How to Read CAC 40
Watch CAC 40's level against its previous close for the day's direction, and against the 50-day and 200-day moving averages for the medium-term trend. A print near the top of the 52-week range with rising volume is often read as momentum by market participants, while repeated failures at the same level mark resistance. Breadth — how many constituents rise versus fall — shows whether a move is broad-based or driven by a few heavyweights.
52-week range: 7,505.27 – 8,755.03. Trailing 12-month change: 8.89%.
By Liveworldmarket Editorial Team · Last reviewed 31 August 2026
CAC 40 — France's Premier Equity Index
The CAC 40 is the benchmark equity index for the French stock market, composed of the 40 most-significant companies listed on Euronext Paris by free-float market capitalisation and trading liquidity. Despite the modest number of constituents, the CAC 40 captures one of the most economically-influential blue-chip baskets in Europe. The index is uniquely heavy in two themes: global luxury (LVMH, Hermès, Kering, L'Oréal, Christian Dior — collectively around 20% of index weight) and globally-recognised consumer-staples brands (Danone, Pernod Ricard).
Because of the luxury concentration, the CAC 40 functions as the world's most direct equity proxy for global high-end consumer-discretionary demand — particularly Chinese consumer demand, which accounts for an estimated 30-40% of LVMH and Hermès revenue. A 5% pullback in Chinese consumer confidence frequently translates into a sharp single-day CAC drawdown, even when the broader Eurozone economy is healthy. Reading the CAC alongside the Shanghai Composite gives a more complete picture than reading either in isolation.
History & contract origins
The CAC 40 was created on 31 December 1987 with a base level of 1,000 — making the index quite young compared to peers like the FTSE 100 (1984), DAX (1988) and S&P 500 (1957). The name 'CAC' originally stood for Compagnie des Agents de Change, a stock-broker syndicate dissolved in 1988; the abbreviation is retained for historical continuity. The index is calculated and disseminated by Euronext Paris.
Notable history: peaked at 6,944 in September 2000 during the dot-com bubble, took 21 years to retake that level (finally crossing 7,000 in November 2021), broke 8,000 in early 2024. Major drawdowns: 2000-2003 (-65%), 2008-09 (-55%), 2011 Eurozone crisis (-31%), 2020 COVID-19 (-38%), 2022 Russia-Ukraine (-19%).
Trading hours & session layout
CAC 40 trades on Euronext Paris. The FCE futures (also on Euronext) provides extended-hours discovery. In IST:
| Pre-open auction | 12:45 IST (CEST) / 13:45 IST (winter) |
| Cash open | 13:30 IST (winter) / 12:30 IST (CEST) |
| Cash close | 21:00 IST (winter) / 20:00 IST (CEST) |
| FCE futures after-hours | until 01:30 IST |
Holiday calendar (typical annual closures)
Listed below are the major scheduled closures for the underlying exchange. Exact dates shift year-to-year — always verify against the exchange's official calendar before holding overnight positions across a holiday boundary.
| Holiday | Typical date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January |
| Good Friday | Variable |
| Easter Monday | Variable |
| Labour Day | 1 May |
| Victory in Europe Day | 8 May |
| Ascension Day | Variable — 39 days after Easter |
| Whit Monday | Variable — 50 days after Easter |
| Bastille Day | 14 July |
| Assumption of Mary | 15 August |
| All Saints' Day | 1 November |
| Armistice Day | 11 November |
| Christmas Day | 25 December |
| Boxing Day | 26 December |
How to read this tape
When reading the CAC tape, three lenses to apply. First, the luxury lens: a 1% move in LVMH alone shifts the CAC by ~0.1%. Second, the China lens: monitor the Shanghai Composite and the offshore CNH (USD/CNH) — a weakening yuan often presages CAC luxury-led weakness. Third, the ECB lens: French banks (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole) and insurers (AXA) are ~13% of index weight; ECB rate decisions move them sharply.
Seasonal pattern: the CAC traditionally exhibits a strong 'October low, year-end rally' pattern — its average October close is typically the lowest of the year, followed by November-December gains. This pattern has held over ~70% of years since 1990.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the CAC 40 so sensitive to China?
Because of the index's heavy luxury weighting (~20%). LVMH and Hermès generate roughly 30-40% of revenue from Chinese consumers; Kering and L'Oréal also have significant China exposure. Any China demand surprise — positive or negative — flows through to CAC pricing within hours.
What's the difference between CAC 40 and SBF 120?
CAC 40 = 40 largest Paris-listed stocks. SBF 120 = 120 largest. The CAC 40 is the headline media benchmark; SBF 120 is broader and used by some quantitative funds.
Is the CAC 40 a price-return or total-return index?
The headline CAC 40 is a price-return index. A total-return variant (CAC 40 GR) is also published but is rarely quoted in news media.
How does the CAC 40 typically open relative to overnight US futures?
The CAC 40 open at 12:30 IST (CEST) follows US futures direction with a correlation of ~0.5. European-specific news, EUR/USD movement and China overnight news often amplify or dampen the gap.
Can Indian residents invest in the CAC 40?
Yes, via the LRS route. CAC 40 ETFs include Lyxor CAC 40 (CAC.PA) and Amundi CAC 40 — both listed in Paris and tradable through European brokers.
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Editorial article. Information only — not investment advice. Read our Risk Disclaimer before acting on any market data shown here.