The DAX ended its trading day on Wednesday nearly flat compared to the previous day’s close, after a volatile session characterized by significant up and down movements. At the close of Xetra trading, the index settled at 25,460 points, representing a marginal decrease of only 0.01 percent or 3.53 index points.
Investors are keenly focused on the anticipated decision from the US Federal Reserve regarding future interest rate developments, expected later that evening in Germany. While the majority of professional investors anticipate that the Fed will maintain the current interest rate, an unusually large number of voices are diverging from this consensus, forecasting a minor increase of 0.25 percentage points.
In particular, Rheinmetall stocks performed strongly on Wednesday, rising by approximately six percent just before the market closed. Siemens Health and BASF also appeared on the buying list, registering gains of around four percent. Conversely, Infineon experienced a sharp decline, with its shares falling over five percent right before the close. Vonovia shares were also significantly unpopular at the time, dropping by approximately two percent; these stocks are considered particularly sensitive to inflation concerns and, preceding that, to rising energy costs.
The financial markets witnessed sharp fluctuations, especially in response to fresh attacks in the Middle East. On Wednesday afternoon, around 5 PM German time, a barrel of Brent crude oil was priced at $90.42, marking a 7.5 percent increase from the previous day’s closing figures.
In terms of currency, the Euro weakened slightly during Wednesday afternoon trading. A Euro traded at $1.1381, while the corresponding USD/EUR rate was 0.8787 Euros per dollar.
