The German stock market benchmark, the DAX, experienced a slight downturn to conclude the week’s trading. At the close of the Xetra exchange, the index registered at 23,639 points, representing a 0.2 percent decrease from the previous day’s closing value.
Among the top performers nearing the end of trading were Sartorius, Brenntag and Airbus. Conversely, Zalando, Symrise and Continental closed among the weakest.
Market analyst Andreas Lipkow noted that trading activity was largely influenced by settlement obligations at the Eurex derivatives exchange, pushing the DAX as low as 23,615 points. He indicated this level, between 23,600 and 23,700 points, had been anticipated prior to the day’s trading.
The Euro also weakened during Friday afternoon trading, exchanging at $1.1743, making the dollar worth €0.8516.
Crude oil prices saw a significant decline; Brent North Sea crude was trading at $66.75 per barrel around 5:00 PM local time, a drop of $0.69 or 1.0 percent compared to the previous trading day’s closing price.