CAC 40 Edges Higher On Rate Cut Expectations

French stocks climbed on Thursday amid expectations the European Central Bank will probably start cutting interest rates during the spring.

Elsewhere, the U.S. Federal Reserve is likely to hold rates steady at its policy meeting next week, but the ‘dot plot’ projections may signal future interest rate moves.

The U.S. producer price inflation data for February due out later in the day along with other reports on weekly jobless claims and retail sales may shed additional light on the outlook for interest rates.

The benchmark CAC 40 was up 55 points, or 0.7 percent, at 8,193 after rising 0.6 percent in the previous session.