The CAC 40 index was created on December 31, 1987, alongside Casino, Club Méditerranée, Crédit Foncier, Darty, Hachette and Havas. In the aftermath of the 1987 crash, the Paris Stock Exchange wanted to equip itself with a precise and homogeneous index to support the dematerialization of stock exchanges.
Oil companies, telecoms giants, luxury flagships... the profile of its leaders has constantly changed. Bouygues, Carrefour, L'Oréal, LVMH, Michelin, Pernod Ricard, Sanofi and Société Générale are the only other original members to still feature.