The Paris Stock Exchange closed 2013 with an increase of approximately 16,4% to 4.275,71 points, close to the highs of the year. Better than London (+13,4%) and Piazza Affari (+15,5%), even if not the best in the Old Continent: Frankfurt rose by 25% and Madrid by 19,5%. There are several aspects to underline in 2013 which is drawing to a close: the giant Alcatel-Lucent has returned to the Cac40 after a year's absence, about fifteen new companies have arrived on the list and some stocks have attracted attention with increases spectacular.
Among these, the run of Alcatel-Lucent stands out: +225%. A performance that allowed the giant that produces telecommunications hardware and software to return to the main index of the Parisian market at the end of the year. Alcatel was an original member of the Cac 40 when the index was founded some 25 years ago but was expelled in December 2012 after its market valuation shriveled due to years of losses and stiff Chinese competition. Alcatel-Lucent has since hired a new CEO who has implemented a dramatic cost-cutting plan to return the company to profitability. As a result, the company has benefited from a return of interest from investors who have welcomed the new restructuring plan and the valuation has more than tripled since April. The return of Alcatel Lucent to the Cac40, effective from 23 December, took place at the expense of Stmicroelectronics.
Double-digit leap above 80% for EDF and EADS. The shares of France's largest electricity producer and distributor rebounded vigorously after a difficult 2012 on the stock market, benefiting from the international development of the business. In October, the group announced that it will invest nearly 19 billion euros in Great Britain to build two new third-generation nuclear reactors (the so-called EPR generation). The aerospace and defense company, EADS, shines thanks to the results and the actions taken on cutting costs. At the beginning of December, the group confirmed the 2015 ROS (return on sales) target of 10% and the strong dividend policy aimed at returning value to shareholders with a payout ratio of 30-40%. The restructuring plan will result in a reduction of 5.800 jobs by the end of 2016. From 2 January 2014, however, the EADS group will assume the name of Airbus Group. Another company in the defense and aerospace sector was also highlighted in 2013: Safran +53%. Among the major increases of the year there are also financial stocks: Crédit Agricole and Axa + approximately 50%.
Among the stocks with the greatest declines are Technip -20%, a holding company specializing in engineering services and technologies in the petrochemical sector, which in December was also affected by the profit warning: it announced that the margins of the Submarine Structures division will be lower than expected due to the exceptionally negative trend recorded in the first quarter. Decline for the industrial giant: Alstom -12%, the manufacturer of high-speed TGV trains. Surprisingly red also for the luxury of Lvmh which sells 4,7% and the beverage of Pernord Ricard, - 4,7%. For Socgen analysts, in a report dated November 21 in which they raised their rating to buy, "shares did not perform well due to the crackdown on conspicuous Chinese consumption, even though we are convinced of the long-term potential for cognac in village". However, analysts note that the timing of a demand recovery remains uncertain.
There are also several debuts of new companies: about fifteen on the main list alone, the Nyse Euronext (then there is the Alternext and the free market). And 2013, as for Piazza Affari with Moncler, recorded the landing of the most important IPO after several years: the telecommunications services company Numericable
