The CAC 40 Index rose by ~12% this year and by nearly 20% from its lowest level in April when Donald Trump unveiled his reciprocal tariffs. This rebound coincided with that of other global indices, which are ending the year in the green. This article explores some of the top gainers and laggards in the CAC Index.
Société Générale was the top CAC 40 Index
Société Générale, a top French bank, was the best-performing company in the CAC 40 Index this year as it jumped by 152%, bringing its market capitalization to nearly $50 billion.
The surge coincided with the strong performance of the European banking industry. In France alone, banks like BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole jumped by double digits this year.
The most recent results showed that Societe Generale’s business did well this year, helped by its revenue growth and cost cuts. Its nine-month revenue rose to €20.5 billion, with its third-quarter figure coming in at €6.7 billion.
The company’s costs declined by 1.1% in the third quarter, as disposals made it more profitable. Indeed, the Return on Tangible Equity (ROTE) rose to 10.7%, higher than the previous guidance of 9%.
Still, the challenge is whether the company’s business will continue doing well now that interest rates are coming down.
ArcelorMittal stock soared despite challenges
ArcelorMittal, one of the biggest companies in the steel industry, was the second-best performer in the CAC 40 Index. It jumped by 75% this year, pushing its market cap to over $32 billion.
The rally was mostly because of the rising demand for steel, which was offset by the elevated costs. The most recent results showed that its revenue was $15.65 billion in the third quarter, up from the $15.19 billion it made last year.
However, its EBITDA dropped to $1.50 billion from the $1.58 billion it made in Q3’25. The stock also did well as the number of outstanding shares dropped from 778 million to 761 million.
Thales stock jumped amid rising defense spending
Thales, a large defense contractor, was the third-best performing company in the CAC 40 Index this year. It jumped by 65%, with its valuation soaring to $61 billion. This growth mirrored the performance of other defense contractors like Rheinmetall and BAE Systems.
The most recent results revealed that sales rose by 8.1% in the year’s first half to over €10.26 billion. Its adjusted EBIT rose by 13% to €1.248 billion, while the cash flow rose to €499 million.
Thales will likely continue doing well as European defense spending accelerates. The company also plans to continue turning its loss-making space business.
Orange stock jumped amid resilient growth
Orange, the giant telecoms company, was another top gainer in the CAC 40 Index. It was trading at €14.11 on Monday, up substantially from the year-to-date low of €8.9.
Orange’s business continued growing as the company added more customers in key markets in France, Europe, and Africa. Its new customers rose by 8.2 million in the third quarter, bringing the total figure to 300 million.
Orange’s Africa and Middle East business experienced a 12.2% revenue growth in the third quarter, while Europe grew by 8.2%.
The other top gainers in the CAC 40 Index were ENGIE, Safran, BNB Paribas, Legrand, and Credit Agricole. Kering, the embattled luxury group, rose by 26% this year, beating other companies like LVMH and Hermes.
On the other hand, the top laggards were firms like Edenred, Pernod Ricard, Dassault Systèmes, Stellantis, Renault, TP, and Publicis.
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