BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks held steady on Thursday, as investors react to the latest batch of earnings results and the European Central Bank's comments that there was no need for excessive tightening to curb inflation.
Investors also awaited key U.S. inflation data later in the day, which could offer fresh clues on the pace of U.S. interest rate hikes.
The benchmark CAC 40 was marginally higher at 7,137 after rising 1.5 percent on Wednesday.
Pernod Ricard gained about 1 percent. The spirits group forecast strong sales growth in its 2022 fiscal year after posting strong first-half results.
Societe Generale surged 4.6 percent as the lender topped estimates to post its best annual performance ever.
Credit Agricole rose 0.7 percent after its fourth-quarter net income came ahead of market views.
TotalEnergies edged down slightly after the petroleum refining company agreed to buy U.S. solar company SunPower Corp's Commercial and Industrial Solutions business for $250 million.
Sanofi added 1 percent. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the French drug maker announced that the U.S. FDA has accepted Dupixent (dupilumab) for Priority Review in children aged 6 months to 5 years with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.
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