French shares lost on Thursday, with the benchmark Paris CAC 40 down 0.31 percent, or 16.38 points, to close at 5,243.84 points.

Of the 40 selected large companies, 34 lost in the day.

French international luxury group Kering was down 2.07 percent, the top loser of the blue chips. International group in sub-sea, onshore, offshore, and surface technologies Technipfmc lost 2.02 percent. French international hotel group Accor lost 1.95 percent.

French aviation group Safran advanced 6.37 percent, the top gainers of the blue chips. European aviation group Airbus rose 1.24 percent, followed by Vinci, a global player in concessions and construction, which gained 1.18 percent. Enditem