(RTTNews) - French stocks rose on Thursday amid optimism that the far-right National Rally (RN) party would not get a majority of seats in the French parliament.
France's leftist and centrist parties have pulled hundreds of candidates from Sunday's high-stakes election in a coordinated attempt to prevent the RN from ascending to power.
The centrists and the left-wingers hope that their consolidation can prevent a clean sweep for the RN.
The benchmark CAC 40 was up 57 points, or 0.8 percent, at 7,689 after climbing 1.2 percent the previous day.
Banks topped the gainers list, with BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole and Societe Generale rallying 2-3 percent.
