05.02.202609:12:43UTC+00DAX on Cautious Note

On Thursday, Frankfurt's DAX 40 dipped by 0.3% to approximately 24,500, as investors assessed a new round of corporate earnings and anticipated the European Central Bank's (ECB) policy decision. While the ECB is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged, market participants are keenly awaiting comments from President Lagarde. The index was weighed down by defense sector stocks, which declined amid ongoing peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, alongside optimistic developments in US-Iran relations. Notably, Rheinmetall experienced a decline of over 5%, influenced by brokers pointing to weak preliminary forecasts for 2026. Meanwhile, Renk and Hensoldt saw losses of up to 3%. Conversely, the technology sector provided a lift to the index with notable performances from SAP, Siemens, and Infineon Technologies, which rose by 3.1%, 1.8%, and 0.8%, respectively. Additionally, Gea Group, a company specializing in plant engineering, saw its shares increase by 1.5% following a buy recommendation from Berenberg Bank.