PSA and Renault provide the few Q4 bright spots for automakers.(News)

Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine

French stocks performed best among automotive manufacturers in the fourth quarter.

Investors in PSA/Peugeot-Citroen realized a 3.9 percent return in the fourth quarter. Investors see France's largest car group at a high point in its product cycle, with a healthy balance sheet and strong earnings.

PSA sales last year reached 3.27 million vehicles, slightly above its 3.25 million target. PSA is aiming for an operating profit of about [euro]2.9 billion, and an operating margin for automotive operations of about 5 percent, which it wants to ...