French Stocks Halt 4-Day Gain

French stocks were lower on Monday, with the benchmark CAC 40 index closing at 6,665, after four straight sessions of gains, as investors monitored protests in China to assess risks to the global economic outlook.

Widening protests over China’s stringent Covid restrictions flared for the third day and spread to several cities, with some demonstrators not hesitating to call for the resignation of Xi Jinping and for more freedom.

Meanwhile, ECB's President Lagarde warned that Eurozone inflation has not peaked and it risks turning out even higher than currently expected.

On the corporate front, Airbus was the top loser, falling 5.7%, following reports that the aircraft manufacturer could experience further delays in deliveries of medium-haul aircraft scheduled for 2023.

STMicroelectronics (-2.2%), Dassault Systemes (-2.2%) and Saint Gobain (-2.1%) were also among the worst performers.