The DAX index closed with a gain of 0.6 percent on Thursday, reaching 23,934 points at the Xetra trading close. The index experienced a positive start to the day but briefly dipped into negative territory during the midday trading session before recovering to close higher in the afternoon.
Market analyst Andreas Lipkow commented that investors are gradually preparing for the upcoming long weekend in the United States. Financial markets in the U.S. will be closed on Friday for the national holiday, suggesting that the following week could see renewed focus on trade disputes and tariffs.
Trading volume in the DAX was relatively thin on Thursday, with market participants awaiting official U.S. labor market data and developments from negotiations between the U.S. and the European Union.
Leading stocks before the market close included shares of Commerzbank, Henkel, Infineon and SAP, while Rheinmetall and BASF were among the laggards.
Meanwhile, the price of natural gas saw a slight decrease, with a megawatt-hour (MWh) contract for August delivery costing 33 euros. This translates to a potential consumer price of approximately eight to ten cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), including associated costs and taxes, if prices remain stable.
Oil prices also declined, with a barrel of North Sea Brent crude settling at $68.43 USD on Thursday afternoon, representing a decrease of 1.0 percent or 68 cents from the previous day’s close.
The Euro weakened against the U.S. dollar on Thursday afternoon, with one Euro trading at $1.1757.
