The CAC 40 fell 0.5% to close at 8,581 on Friday, just below recent record levels while still securing a monthly gain of 5.8% for February, as investors weighed a mix of corporate earnings and cooling French economic data. The local economy grew only 0.2% in the final quarter of 2025, which was the slowest pace in three quarters. Inflation accelerated to 1% in February, while producer prices fell 2.3% in January. Schneider Electric rose 1.7% and Sanofi gained 1.5% following positive sentiment, while AXA added 1.4%. In contrast, EssilorLuxottica tumbled 5.4% and Airbus dropped 1.2%. LVMH also struggled with a 1% decline as luxury names faced pressure. Meanwhile, a third round of negotiations in Geneva concluded Thursday without a major step forward to ease tensions or prevent potential US military action.