The Dax index had a relatively subdued start on Friday, with a mid-day return to the previous day’s levels before eventually losing some ground. By around 12:30 pm, the index was calculated at around 22,565 points, 0.2 percent lower than the previous day’s close. At the top of the list of stocks, Rheinmetall, BMW and Heidelberg Materials led the way, while FMC, Siemens Energy and Hannover Rück trailed behind.
“Investors are using the current price levels to take positions in individual stocks and sectors and also to stock up on their holdings” said market expert Andreas Lipkow. The appetite for the overall market had decreased ahead of the weekend.
“The focus is still on the issues of the Ukraine ceasefire, US tariffs and inflation developments in the US and the EU” Lipkow said. The relevant news are currently driving the volatility on the financial markets and, in addition, are highlighting latent risk factors. “Investors are, to some extent, ignoring these risks and are focusing very strongly on the potential returns.”
The European common currency was slightly weaker on Friday morning: one euro cost $1.0464 and one dollar was worth $0.9557 in euros.
Meanwhile, the oil price had a slight increase: a barrel of the North Sea Brent type cost $75.16 at 12 pm German time, which was 14 cents or 0.2 percent more than at the close of the previous trading day.