The DAX saw positive movement on Thursday afternoon, after starting the trading day with a cautious approach. The index reached approximately 24,245 points around 12:30 PM, marking a 0.2 percent gain from the previous day’s closing level.
Andreas Lipkow, Chief Market Analyst at CMC Markets, commented on the performance, noting, “Despite numerous disruptive factors, the DAX is maintaining its level above 24,000 points.” Lipkow added that investors in Frankfurt are currently on standby ahead of the European Central Bank’s interest rate decision, prompting them to refocus on established trends such as Artificial Intelligence and semiconductors. This trend is reflected in stronger demand for shares in Infineon and Siemens Energy, while the theme of energy is also being driven by RWE’s stock.
Overall market sentiment remains cautiously optimistic. Investors are hopeful for a swift resolution to the Iran conflict; however, Lipkow stressed that the opaque situation in the Middle East continues to be the single biggest drag on the stock market, directly impacting many sub-sectors.
Separately, the European common currency weakened slightly on Thursday afternoon. The Euro traded at $1.1525 against the US Dollar, meaning the Dollar was valued at 0.8677 Euros.
In contrast, the gold price managed to gain ground, rising 0.3 percent to reach $4,088 per fine ounce in the afternoon, which translates to 114.04 Euros per gram. Oil prices, however, fell. The Brent crude oil barrel traded at $92.19 around noon German time on Thursday afternoon, representing a decrease of 1.0 percent or 91 cents from the close of the previous trading day.
