Axa SA (CS) Plunges -0.78% on Nov 20

November 20, 2017 - By Nellie Frank

Shares of Axa SA (EPA:CS) last traded at 24.94, representing a move of -0.78%, or -0.19 per share, on volume of 2.46 million shares. After opening the trading day at 25.11, shares of Axa SA traded in a close range. Axa SA currently has a total float of 2.42B shares and on average sees 5.49M shares exchange hands each day. The stock now has a 52-week low of 21.46 and high of 26.34.

CAC 40: A Thriving European Index

Europe is undeniably home to some of the largest and fastest-growing economies in the world. That being said, it is interesting to know more about some of its pride, specifically France.

The Euronext

In an attempt to maximize and build on the economy of the European Union (EU), the Euronext was formed in 2000 when the Paris Bourse, the Brussels Stock Exchange, and the Amsterdam Stock Exchange had merged. In 2002, the Bolsa de Valores de Lisboa e Porto (BVLP) was included to the Euronext. This had led to the creation of one of the biggest consolidated stock exchanges in the world; and the rest, as they say, is all history. And now it helps Axa SA to attract more clients.

Today, the Euronext is the pan-European stock exchange situated in Amsterdam, Brussels, Lisbon, London, and Paris. With more than 1,000 publicly traded companies within its network, the Euronext has a market capitalization of roughly €2.60 trillion as of the first quarter of 2014. The most watched indices of the Euronext include AEX, AScX, BEL 20, CAC 40, Next 150, PSI 20, among others. Investors are carefully watched changes inside Axa SA.

The CAC 40

Euronext Paris is the primary stock exchange in France. The CAC 40, which derives its name from CotationAssistéeenContinu— a former automated trading system, is its benchmark index.

Unlike the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) in the US, which measures stocks based on price, the CAC 40 measures stocks based on free-float market capitalization and share turnover in the past year. Such has been the case since December 1, 2003. Before that, stocks had been measured based on total market valuation.

The CAC 40 is reviewed four times a year, particularly on the third Friday of every quarter-end— March, June, September, and December. The stocks of the index are capped at 15% if necessary in order to prevent index heavyweight. The Index Steering Committee ranks the top 100 companies and from there, 40 companies will be chosen to be included in the CAC 40. These represent the most significant and most active stocks not just in France but in the entire Europe as well. Consequently, the CAC 40 is a powerful economic indicator and has the ability to make or break the region’s corporate sector.

On September 4, 2000, shortly before the foundation of the Euronext, the CAC 40 had attained its all-time high of 6,922.33 with an intraday high of 6,944.77. On the other hand, the all-time low of 893.82 had been posted in January 1988.

The regular session on Euronext Paris lasts from 6:01 a.m. until 7:59 p.m., marking one of the longest sessions worldwide. A 2% margin and a minimum of one index are required when trading. The main currency is, of course, euro. Presently, the CAC 40 is trading at the 4,000 mark, a little well below its peak 16 years ago.

The CAC 40 is truly a reflection of how the European economy has evolved through the years. Axa SA evolved as well. With its evident success, Euronext Paris is surely one of today’s most rewarding stock exchanges to engage in.

More notable recent Axa SA (EPA:CS) news were published by: Bloomberg.com which released: “Axa Said to Weigh Merger for European Asset Management Unit” on September 14, 2017, also Blogs.Wsj.com with their article: “Insurer AXA Bets On Big Data” published on November 17, 2017, Bloomberg.com published: “A French Uber Rival Wants to Become a Car Insurance Broker” on November 20, 2017. More interesting news about Axa SA (EPA:CS) were released by: Foxbusiness.com and their article: “French Insurer AXA Files For IPO of US Unit” published on November 14, 2017 as well as Moodys.com‘s news article titled: “Moody’s downgrades AXA Financial’s ratings following AXA’s continued pursuit …” with publication date: November 14, 2017.

AXA SA is a France-based holding firm engaged in the business of financial protection. The company has market cap of 60.53 billion EUR. The Company’s divisions include Life & Savings, Property & Casualty, Asset Management , Banking and Holding companies. It has a 10.63 P/E ratio. The Life & Savings segment’s products include a range of investment and savings products, as well as Protection and Health products.