This final week of April is dominated by central bank news. The Bank of Japan left its key interest rate unchanged following its meeting, a decision that reinforces the likelihood of a hike as early as June. The Fed is now expected tomorrow evening, ahead of the ECB and the Bank of England on Thursday.

'Although the memory of inflation remains vivid for consumers, the current energy shock is less significant than in 2022 and the fiscal room for maneuver for governments is more limited. Given these factors - cooling demand, persistent pressure on commodity prices, and budgetary constraints - the ECB is likely to remain cautious', says Bénédicte Kukla, chief strategist at Indosuez Wealth Management.

On the geopolitical front, the stalemate persists, even though a new Iranian proposal is 'under review', according to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, following press reports of an offer transmitted via Pakistani mediators.

Furthermore, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that the dual threat of rockets and drones from pro-Iranian Hezbollah justified the continuation of military operations in Lebanon. As the status quo prevails regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Brent crude is down 3.55% at 104.43 dollars.

Stocks on the move

Air Liquide (-4.31%) is retreating sharply and is the laggard of the CAC 40 after reporting a decline in first-quarter revenue, weighed down by sluggish demand in Europe and Asia. Conversely, Nexans (+8.19%) is posting one of the strongest gains on the SBF 120, behind Worldline (+11.07%), after publishing quarterly revenues in line with expectations and announcing an acquisition in the buoyant US data center market.

Canal+ (+2.18%) is advancing after announcing its intention to list in South Africa on June 3, following the acquisition of MultiChoice last year. Already listed in London, the group will become the first French company to join the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

BP (+3.18%) is also well-oriented after reporting a first-quarter underlying replacement cost profit of 3.2 billion dollars, exceeding expectations and showing a significant year-on-year increase.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro is shedding 0.25% against the dollar, trading at 1.1694 dollars.