Renault was strong on a day when an attack of nerves ahead of today's meeting of the Federal Reserve monetary committee sent most blue chips lower.
The buying was sparked by a burst of optimism as investors peered ahead to Thursday and a results statement from Nissan, the big Japanese associate in which Renault has a near 37 per cent stake.
Most analysts have Nissan's contribution to group results this year pencilled in at around 40 per cent, so the first quarter from the company is a keenly-awaited benchmark.
Elsewhere in motors, Fiat added 2.7 per cent at €27.01 after the Italian giant cushioned the share price impact of unexciting first quarter figures with a forecast of growth for the full year.
Confirmation from LVMH that trading in Asian markets was tough sent luxury goods steeply lower. The French giant forecast a "more difficult first half" because of lower Asian consumption, and the shares came off 6.6 per cent at €64.90 despite reassurance of double digit growth for the full year.
French commercial media groups were in the red after a warning about advertising revenues from the leading commercial radio group NRJ. Its shares tumbled more than 20 per cent to €21.20 after it said it was unlikely to match consensus forecasts for 2000/01 because of slowing revenues.
France's leading media group Vivendi Universal fell 1.4 per cent to €75.65 in hefty volume of more than 2 million shares.
Telecoms companies were also firmly in the red. France Telecom was down 2.6 per cent at €69.60 and Deutsche Telekom 1.8 per cent at €25.67.
Numico, the Dutch food and drugs group, put in a solid performance after its chief executive was reported as saying that a plunging share price had forced the company to consider the prospect of a takeover bid.
The shares, which have fallen by about 25 per cent since the start of December, picked up 2.4 per cent to €45.14.
Roche came under renewed pressure as the troubled Swiss drugs and diagnostics group confirmed that its supervision board was meeting. But the company denied that the date had been brought forward to address a crisis. The shares lost 1.1 per cent to SFr140.
