Best French Stocks: October 2026
Value 88: cheap on free cash flow and a high yield. Momentum 74: near its 52-week high and outperforming the market over 6 months. Quality 60: strong free cash flow and high gross profitability.
October 2026 edition · data as of ·3 new, 3 out, biggest climb VETO.PA since September·Next edition forms ·How we score stocks·How past rankings did·All France stocks, refreshed daily
Top 25 French Stocks by StockRank
- New in October 2026: Jacquet Metals SA JCQ.PA, Samse SA SAMS.PA, Électricite de Strasbourg Société Anonyme ELEC.PA
- Dropped out: Groupe Pizzorno Environnement GPE.PA, Sanofi SAN.PA, Trigano S.A. TRI.PA
- Biggest climbs: Vetoquinol SA VETO.PA #14 to #3, IDI IDIP.PA #15 to #9, Lagardere SA MMB.PA #21 to #16
- Biggest falls: LNA Santé SA LNA.PA #7 to #19, Burelle SA BUR.PA #16 to #24, Ipsen S.A. IPN.PA #5 to #10
What changed since September: 3 new, 3 out
- New in October 2026: Jacquet Metals SA JCQ.PA, Samse SA SAMS.PA, Électricite de Strasbourg Société Anonyme ELEC.PA
- Dropped out: Groupe Pizzorno Environnement GPE.PA, Sanofi SAN.PA, Trigano S.A. TRI.PA
- Biggest climbs: Vetoquinol SA VETO.PA #14 to #3, IDI IDIP.PA #15 to #9, Lagardere SA MMB.PA #21 to #16
- Biggest falls: LNA Santé SA LNA.PA #7 to #19, Burelle SA BUR.PA #16 to #24, Ipsen S.A. IPN.PA #5 to #10
| # | Stock | Yield | P/E | Score | Q | V | M | Style · Activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yield 6.5% | P/E 8.8 | 99 Score | 60 Q | 88 V | 74 M | Full House | ||
| 2 | Value 83: cheap on free cash flow and cheap on sales. Momentum 72: estimates revised up and outperforming the market over 6 months. Quality 56: strong free cash flow. | Yield 3.2% | P/E 12.2 | 98 Score | 56 Q | 83 V | 72 M | Full House | |
| 3 | Quality 78: interest well covered and F-Score 7/9. Value 73: cheap on EV/EBITDA and cheap on P/E. Momentum 57: estimates revised up but EPS deteriorating. | Yield 1.2% | P/E 13.5 | 97 Score | 78 Q | 73 V | 57 M | Full House | |
| 4 | Value 86: cheap on free cash flow and cheap on P/E. Momentum 66: above its moving averages and outperforming the market over 6 months. Quality 56: F-Score 8/9 but a tight balance sheet. | Yield 3.3% | P/E 10.2 | 97 Score | 56 Q | 86 V | 66 M | Full House | |
| 5 | Value 79: cheap on EV/EBITDA and a high yield. Quality 75: high gross profitability and F-Score 7/9. Momentum 54: near its 52-week high but EPS deteriorating. | Yield 3.9% | P/E 15.7 | 97 Score | 75 Q | 79 V | 54 M | Full House | |
| 6 | Value 87: a high yield and cheap on EV/EBITDA. Quality 71: high gross profitability and interest well covered. Momentum 49: quarterly earnings growing but EPS deteriorating. | Yield 6.4% | P/E 11.2 | 97 Score | 71 Q | 87 V | 49 M | Unloved QualityDeep dive → | |
| 7 | Value 80: a high yield and cheap on EV/EBITDA. Quality 71: high gross profitability and F-Score 7/9. Momentum 55: near its 52-week high but estimates cut. | Yield 5.1% | P/E 16.0 | 97 Score | 71 Q | 80 V | 55 M | Full HouseDir. buyBuyback | |
| 8 | Value 85: a high yield and cheap on P/E. Quality 61: high gross profitability and strong free cash flow. Momentum 56: above its moving averages but quarterly earnings shrinking. | Yield 5.8% | P/E 8.6 | 96 Score | 61 Q | 85 V | 56 M | Full House | |
| 9 | Momentum 70: near its 52-week high and estimates revised up. Quality 68: wide operating margins and a liquid balance sheet. Value 64: below book value and cheap on P/E; P/FCF excluded. | Yield 4.1% | P/E 8.5 | 96 Score | 68 Q | 64 V | 70 M | Full House | |
| 10 | Quality 77: F-Score 8/9 and wide operating margins. Momentum 65: EPS improving and estimates revised up. Value 59: cheap on EV/EBITDA but little or no yield. | Yield 1.0% | P/E 25.2 | 95 Score | 77 Q | 59 V | 65 M | Full HouseDir. buy | |
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| 11 | Momentum 86: above its moving averages and near its 52-week high. Quality 61: wide operating margins and strong free cash flow. Value 54: mixed. | Yield 3.6% | P/E 23.0 | 95 Score | 61 Q | 54 V | 86 M | Full House | |
| 12 | Value 82: cheap on P/E and cheap on free cash flow. Quality 64: F-Score 7/9 and strong free cash flow. Momentum 55: estimates revised up but EPS deteriorating. | Yield 3.3% | P/E 9.1 | 95 Score | 64 Q | 82 V | 55 M | Full HouseDir. buy | |
| 13 | Value 80: cheap on free cash flow and cheap on sales. Momentum 68: near its 52-week high and outperforming the market over 6 months. Quality 52: strong free cash flow but a weak F-Score 4/8. | Yield 2.2% | P/E 21.7 | 95 Score | 52 Q | 80 V | 68 M | Full House | |
| 14 | Momentum 69: estimates revised up and outperforming the market over 6 months. Value 66: cheap on EV/EBITDA and cheap on P/E. Quality 65: high gross profitability and F-Score 7/9. | Yield 2.1% | P/E 11.7 | 95 Score | 65 Q | 66 V | 69 M | Full House | |
| 15 | Quality 74: strong free cash flow and high gross profitability. Value 67: cheap on free cash flow and cheap on EV/EBITDA. Momentum 58: estimates revised up but EPS deteriorating. | Yield 3.0% | P/E 14.2 | 95 Score | 74 Q | 67 V | 58 M | Full HouseDir. buy | |
| 16 | Value 69: cheap on free cash flow and cheap on sales. Momentum 69: estimates revised up and near its 52-week high. Quality 60: F-Score 8/9 and high return on equity. | Yield 3.7% | P/E 12.3 | 94 Score | 60 Q | 69 V | 69 M | Full House | |
| 17 | Value 69: cheap on sales and cheap on free cash flow. Momentum 68: estimates revised up and quarterly earnings growing. Quality 61: F-Score 8/9 and high gross profitability. | Yield 0.9% | P/E 16.9 | 94 Score | 61 Q | 69 V | 68 M | Full House | |
| 18 | Value 75: cheap on sales and cheap on free cash flow. Momentum 74: quarterly earnings growing and near its 52-week high. Quality 48: high gross profitability but high debt. | Yield 4.2% | P/E 12.3 | 94 Score | 48 Q | 75 V | 74 M | Second Wind | |
| 19 | Value 79: cheap on free cash flow and cheap on sales. Momentum 68: estimates revised up and above its moving averages. Quality 50: F-Score 7/9 but high debt. | Yield 3.0% | P/E 13.1 | 94 Score | 50 Q | 79 V | 68 M | Full HouseDeep dive → | |
| 20 | Quality 87: high return on equity and F-Score 8/9. Value 78: a high yield and cheap on EV/EBITDA. Momentum 31: below its moving averages. | Yield 8.5% | P/E 8.9 | 94 Score | 87 Q | 78 V | 31 M | Unloved QualityDeep dive → | |
| 21 | Momentum 77: EPS improving and above its moving averages. Value 68: cheap on free cash flow and below book value. Quality 50: strong free cash flow but a tight balance sheet. | Yield — | P/E 22.2 | 93 Score | 50 Q | 68 V | 77 M | Full House | |
| 22 | Value 72: cheap on sales and a high yield. Momentum 65: near its 52-week high and estimates revised up. Quality 58: F-Score 8/9 but high debt. | Yield 3.3% | P/E 15.9 | 93 Score | 58 Q | 72 V | 65 M | Full House | |
| 23 | Momentum 74: near its 52-week high and estimates revised up. Quality 63: ROIC in the top 20% of its sector and interest well covered. Value 58: mixed. | Yield 4.3% | P/E 11.4 | 93 Score | 63 Q | 58 V | 74 M | Full HouseDir. buyBuyback | |
| 24 | Value 91: cheap on sales and cheap on P/E. Momentum 61: broadly strong. Quality 41: F-Score 7/9 but a tight balance sheet. | Yield 4.6% | P/E 4.9 | 92 Score | 41 Q | 91 V | 61 M | Second Wind | |
| 25 | Quality 73: ROIC in the top 5% of its sector and high return on equity. Momentum 66: outperforming the market over 6 months and above its moving averages. Value 53: cheap on free cash flow but far above book value. | Yield 4.6% | P/E 13.8 | 92 Score | 73 Q | 53 V | 66 M | Full House | |
Ranked by StockRank (Quality + Value + Momentum composite) at a minimum market cap of $250M. Yield and P/E are as of the data date; click a ticker for today’s price and score. A new edition is generated on the first scoring run of each month.
Director buying reported in the 90 days to : Infotel SA INF.PA, Ipsen S.A. IPN.PA, Vicat S.A. VCT.PA, Thermador Groupe SA THEP.PA, TotalEnergies SE TTE.PA
Active share buybacks in the 180 days to : Infotel SA INF.PA, TotalEnergies SE TTE.PA
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How France scores
Where the top 25 come from, and how the whole French market sits against the global universe. StockRank is a global percentile, so the universe splits evenly into five bands by construction; a market that piles up on the right is scoring well as a whole.
Top 25 by sector
- Industrials5
- Technology5
- Healthcare4
- Consumer Cyclical3
- Basic Materials2
- Consumer Defensive2
- Other4
Share of French stocks by StockRank band
- 0-1911% / 20%
- 20-3911% / 20%
- 40-5917% / 20%
- 60-7925% / 20%
- 80-10036% / 20%
Franceall markets
Global Earnings at European Prices
Paris is Europe's global-brands exchange: luxury houses, cosmetics, spirits, aerospace and industrial champions that earn most of their revenue outside France yet trade at European multiples. Beneath the giants sits a family-controlled mid-cap tail with thin coverage. The list below is where the factors align.
MoatMap scored 262 French stocks on 2026-10-01; 195 cleared the $250M market-cap floor this list applies. The market's average StockRank is 63. Technology is the most represented sector in the top 10 (3 names).
The CAC 40's defining trait is that it isn't really a bet on France: its largest constituents (luxury, cosmetics, aerospace, energy services, pharma) earn the bulk of their revenue in the US and Asia. That makes Paris a way to own world-class consumer and industrial franchises at a persistent valuation discount to comparable US listings, with the discount driven by the listing venue rather than the businesses themselves.
The more screen-friendly territory is the mid-cap tail. France has a deep bench of family-controlled compounders in IT services, speciality industrials, food and building materials, where founding families keep large stakes, think in decades, and attract little analyst attention. Concentrated family ownership cuts both ways (less M&A, occasional governance friction), but historically these names have been where French market outperformance came from.
Practical notes for foreign investors: France withholds tax on dividends to non-residents (commonly reduced under tax treaties, so check your broker's relief process), and a financial transaction tax applies to purchases of the largest French companies. Disclosure runs through the EU market-abuse regime: managers' transactions and buyback programmes file with the AMF, and MoatMap ingests both feeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the top-ranked French stocks right now?
- The table above ranks MoatMap's top 25 Euronext Paris-listed stocks by StockRank, a composite of Quality, Value and Momentum percentiles. It refreshes monthly with a stated data date, and each ticker links to a full score breakdown.
- Is the French market just luxury stocks?
- Luxury is the headline weight, but the exchange also lists global leaders in aerospace, electrical equipment, pharma, media and IT services, plus the family-controlled mid-cap tail where coverage is thinnest. A factor screen treats them all the same way; whether luxury names appear in the top 25 depends on where their Value and Momentum scores currently sit.
- How do I buy French stocks from abroad?
- Most international brokers offer direct Euronext Paris access (tickers like MC.PA), and several large caps trade as US ADRs. Direct listings give you the full universe, since the interesting mid-cap tail rarely has an ADR. Note that a financial transaction tax applies to purchases of the largest French names.
- What about French dividend withholding tax?
- France withholds tax on dividends paid to foreign shareholders, with the rate commonly reduced under double-tax treaties depending on your residence and account type. The mechanics vary by broker, so confirm treaty relief is applied before comparing French yields against no-withholding markets like the UK or Singapore.
- How often does this France ranking refresh?
- A new edition forms on the first scoring run of each calendar month and the page states its data-as-of date. For a daily view, use the ranked-stocks screener filtered to France.