The CAC 40, which has rallied 4.05% since Monday evening, is currently trading up a slight 0.03% at 8,301 points. In Frankfurt, the DAX 40 has gained 4.35% over the same period and remains flat at mid-session.

To extend this rebound and allow the Paris Bourse in particular to return to its all-time highs - the Parisian index is only 4.15% away from its record set on February 26th - markets will need more than just rumors or promises.

For now, nothing has been signed, and information regarding progress between Tehran and Washington remains scarce, which also explains why the euphoria has subsided.

The only welcomed signal is that oil prices continue to retreat. In New York, WTI is down 3.51% at 92.40 dollars, while in London, North Sea Brent is falling 3.28% to 98.47 dollars.

On the currency market, the euro is rising against the greenback (+0.22%) and is trading at 1.1773 dollars.

Corporate News

In France, the market is supported by a strong performance in luxury stocks. Kering is up 3.10%, LVMH +2.04%, and Hermès is advancing 2.69%. De-escalation in the Middle East conflict is expected to bolster the sector.

Among the top gainers on the CAC 40 is Legrand, which is climbing 1.37% and trading at record highs. The group unveiled quarterly results that beat expectations, driven notably by data centers in the United States.

Conversely, Engie and Bouygues are shedding 1.96% and 2.57% respectively. The former published declining quarterly accounts, while the latter revealed more mixed results, notably showing a reduction in its net loss from 156 to 94 million euros over the first three months of the year.

Corporate news is particularly dense across other European markets.

In Germany, Infineon is gaining 3.41% after Deutsche Bank analysts reiterated their 'buy' rating on the stock, raising their price target from 52 to 70 euros following the publication of the group's quarterly results the previous day.

Also at the top of the Frankfurt leaderboard, Henkel is advancing 5.26%. The consumer goods manufacturer posted a strong start to the year and confirmed its annual targets.

On the other hand, Davide Campari is recording the sharpest decline on the Stoxx 600 Europe with a 12.50% plunge. The spirits specialist disclosed revenues down 3.4% to 643 million euros for the first three months of the year, a figure that fell short of forecasts.

Economic Data on the Agenda

Investors have already noted a larger-than-expected deterioration in the French trade deficit. In March, it reached 6.9 billion euros, compared to 5.5 billion in February and a forecast of 6.7 billion euros.

In the Eurozone, March retail sales fell less than expected, with a 0.1% decline where analysts had anticipated a 0.3% drop.

This afternoon, investors will be watching weekly jobless claims in the United States. They are expected to come in at 205,000 units, following 189,000 the previous week.