The DAX began Monday with a modest gain, only to shave off part of that upside by midday. At 12:30 p.m. the index settled around 24,789 points, up 0.3 % from Friday’s close. The stocks occupying the top of the daily movement were Commerzbank, Rheinmetall and Heidelberg Materials, while Qiagen, Infineon and Fresenius Medical Care finished at the bottom of the list.
Market analyst Andreas Lipkow noted that participants remain cautious at the start of the week, even though the Asian sessions offered a cheerful start. “Sentiment has improved a little for Germany, but the developments in the U.S. labour market continue to weigh on investors’ moods” he said. Lipkow added that artificial intelligence is becoming “a real job‑killer for high‑paid tech roles” and could leave “noticeable footprints in consumer behaviour and the U.S. real‑estate market”. Those concerns, he argued, are currently influencing the broader market feel and are heightening the importance of the upcoming U.S. labour‑market data. “From that point of view it would not be surprising if the equity markets again consolidate at the start of the week” Lipkow added.
On the currency front, the euro firmed in the afternoon: one euro was worth 1.1862 U.S. dollars, while one dollar could be exchanged for 0.8430 euros.
Meanwhile, oil prices edged up. At about 12:00 p.m. German time, a barrel of North Sea Brent traded at $68.26, representing a 21‑cent rise-or 0.3 %-above the previous day’s close.
