German equities continued their upward trend on Thursday, building on a positive start to the trading day. By midday, the leading DAX index reached approximately 24,355 points, representing a gain of 0.5 percent compared to the previous day’s closing level. Deutsche Bank shares led the performance, posting considerable gains, followed by MTU, Vonovia and Infineon.
Market analyst Andreas Lipkow commented on the trading activity, noting that the initial momentum in European stock markets appeared to be waning before it could fully develop. He attributed this partly to the ongoing weakness in German consumer sentiment, offset by slightly better-than-expected Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) figures for Germany and the Eurozone.
Attention is now focused on the European Central Bank (ECB) meeting scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Lipkow suggests the meeting is unlikely to produce any surprises, with no anticipated changes to interest rates, positioning it as a potentially unremarkable event. He added that any statements regarding the potential impact of proposed US tariffs on European inflation rates remain a possibility.
Overall, market experts expect the trading day to proceed within stable ranges and with relatively low trading volumes.
The Euro weakened slightly at midday, trading at $1.1748, equivalent to €0.8512 per US dollar.
Meanwhile, oil prices saw a marked increase. Brent crude, a benchmark for North Sea crude oil, reached $69.29 per barrel around midday German time – an increase of 78 cents, or 1.1 percent, compared to the end of the previous trading day.