European stock markets experienced moderate declines Monday, with Germany’s DAX index remaining in negative territory during mid-day trading. By 12:30 local time, the DAX stood at approximately 24,280 points, representing a 0.3 percent decrease from the previous day’s closing level. Leading gains were observed in shares of Rheinmetall, Siemens Energy and RWE, while Airbus, Deutsche Post and Commerzbank recorded the most significant losses.
Market analysts attribute the subdued performance to a degree of uncertainty surrounding ongoing international discussions regarding the situation in Ukraine. Andreas Lipkow noted that participants are approaching subsequent meetings between representatives from Ukraine, Europe and the United States with cautious optimism, given the unclear prospects for a ceasefire and the resulting market volatility. He added that a lack of independent purchasing momentum, unrelated to the current geopolitical context, is also contributing to the cautious trading environment.
In currency markets, the Euro weakened slightly against the US dollar, trading at 1.1679 US dollars, while the dollar was valued at 0.8562 Euros.
Meanwhile, crude oil prices saw a modest increase, with Brent crude futures trading at 66.02 US dollars per barrel-a 0.3 percent rise from the previous trading day’s close.
