The key facts

  • CAC 40 fell 1.1%, STOXX 600 — 0.63% to 640.68 points
  • Around 2,400 detainees, around 1,000 injured police officers and firefighters
  • One demonstrator died in Paris, a teenager lost a hand in Saint-Étienne

French market leads declines in Europe

French stocks led losses on European markets on Monday after the weekend protests, the Anadolu agency reported. The benchmark CAC 40 fell 1.1% by 08:00 GMT amid unrest over the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services, adding to concerns about weak economic growth and growing public debt.

Pan-European index and banking sector

The STOXX 600 index dropped 0.63% to 640.68 points after rising more than 2% last week. Banking stocks were hit hardest: the eurozone banks index lost 1.4%, and Spain's bank-heavy IBEX 35 fell 1.21%.

Scale of protests and casualties

On Saturday, mass demonstrations took place across France against the rising cost of living and high fuel prices. According to the agency, around 2,400 people were detained across the country, and around 1,000 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured. In Paris, one demonstrator died after feeling unwell, and in Saint-Étienne a 17-year-old teenager lost his right hand due to a crowd-dispersal grenade.

Earnings expectations and individual stocks

Investors were also awaiting results from major European and American companies after last week's selloff of artificial intelligence-related stocks amid concerns about growing debt to finance infrastructure investments. Among individual stocks, Norwegian salmon producer Mowi rose 4.1% after record catch volumes for the third quarter.