Sviatschi, Maria MicaelaKastner, Phil2025-07-282025-07-282025-04-10https://theses-dissertations.princeton.edu/handle/88435/dsp01pv63g369cThis thesis explores the equity market implications of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, paying particular attention to the host city announcement in September 2017 and the opening ceremony in July 2024. The study evaluates whether these events generated abnormal returns in the French equity market, both at the aggregate and sectoral levels. Employing data from the CAC 40 and eight Euronext Paris sector indices, the analysis triangulates three methodological frameworks consisting of cumulative abnormal return (CAR) models, synthetic control models (SCM), and difference-in-differences (DiD) regressions. The findings reveal statistically significant Cumulative abnormal returns for the CAC 40 in the immediate aftermath of the host city announcement. Sectoral analyses indicate pronounced heterogeneity: Industrials, Consumer Goods, and Oil and Gas sectors experienced positive abnormal returns, while Technology and Consumer Services exhibited statistically significant negative returns. The synthetic control model shows that the CAC 40 outperformed its counterfactual by over 1000 points in the 6 and 12-month periods following the announcement, a result produced by DiD estimates controlling for time-variant covariates such as the energy market and exchange rate fluctuations. These results indicate that the Paris 2024 Olympics, known for minimal public spending and high private-sector financing, were associated with moderate aggregate and sector-specific investor optimism. By integrating three empirical strategies and introducing sectoral granularity, this study contributes to the literature on the financial impact of mega-events and offers one of the first equity market evaluations of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.enPrinceton University Senior Theses