Frankfurt - German stock benchmarks finished the trading day in the red on Thursday as sectoral declines in Chemicals, Construction and Industrials weighed on sentiment.
At the close in Frankfurt, the benchmark DAX fell 0.99%. The MDAX slipped 0.58% and the TecDAX eased 0.36% by the end of the session.
Among DAX constituents, Henkel & Co KGaA AG Pref (ETR:HNKG_p) was the session's strongest gainer, rising 4.33% or 2.74 points to finish at 66.06. Fresenius Medical Care KGAA ST (ETR:FMEG) added 3.82% or 1.37 points to end at 37.20, while Continental AG O.N. (ETR:CONG) advanced 2.65% or 1.80 points to close at 69.72.
On the downside, Rheinmetall AG (ETR:RHMG) posted the steepest loss on the DAX, declining 6.94% or 100.00 points to trade at 1,341.60 at the close. Daimler Truck Holding AG (ETR:DTGGe) fell 5.93% or 2.60 points to end at 41.27, and Hannover Rueck SE (ETR:HNRGn) lost 4.92% or 12.80 points to finish at 247.60.
The MDAX saw notable winners including TeamViewer AG (ETR:TMV), which rose 5.26% to 5.70; Stroeer SE (ETR:SAXG), up 5.14% to settle at 38.88; and Jungheinrich AG O.N.VZO (ETR:JUNG_p), which gained 2.79% to close at 26.56. Conversely, Lanxess AG (ETR:LXSG) was down 5.59% to 17.05, RENK Group AG (ETR:R3NK) lost 5.48% to settle at 51.39 and Aumovio Se (ETR:AMV0n) declined 4.36% to 37.25 at the close.
Within the TecDAX, SUSS MicroTec SE (ETR:SMHNn) led gains with an 8.66% jump to 88.50, Siltronic AG (ETR:WAFGn) climbed 7.33% to 88.60 and Ottobock SE & Co KgaA (ETR:OBCK) rose 5.76% to close at 62.40. Lagging names included Evotec AG O.N. (ETR:EVTG), down 4.79% to 5.26, Siemens Healthineers AG (ETR:SHLG), which lost 4.72% to settle at 33.93, and Hensoldt Ag (ETR:HAGG), down 3.69% to 77.80.
Market breadth on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange favored decliners: 336 stocks fell versus 289 advancers, while 27 issues ended unchanged.
Certain individual share movements stood out in intraday milestones. SUSS MicroTec SE (ETR:SMHNn) reached an all-time high, gaining 8.66% or 7.05 to 88.50. Siltronic AG (ETR:WAFGn) moved to a 52-week high, rising 7.33% or 6.05 to 88.60. On the downside, Siemens Healthineers AG (ETR:SHLG) fell to a five-year low, down 4.72% or 1.68 to 33.93.
Volatility as measured by the DAX volatility index, which reflects implied volatility in DAX options, ticked lower by 5.10% to 23.21.
Commodities displayed mixed moves during the session. Gold futures for June delivery rose 0.83% or 39.14 to $4,733.44 a troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for June delivery fell 1.37% or 1.30 to $93.78 a barrel, and the July Brent contract slipped 1.68% or 1.70 to $99.57 a barrel.
Foreign exchange pairs were broadly steady: EUR/USD was effectively unchanged at 1.18, tagged as 0.11% unchanged in intraday reporting, while EUR/GBP was unchanged at 0.86, noted as 0.07% unchanged. The U.S. Dollar Index futures eased 0.03% to 97.85.
Summary: The German market closed lower with the DAX down 0.99% as Chemicals, Construction and Industrials weighed on the session. While several individual equities recorded sizeable gains and some reached record highs, broader market participation favored declines. Volatility eased modestly and commodity prices moved in opposite directions through the trading day.
- Top DAX performers: Henkel & Co KGaA AG Pref, Fresenius Medical Care, Continental AG.
- Largest DAX decliners: Rheinmetall AG, Daimler Truck Holding AG, Hannover Rueck SE.
- Market breadth: 336 declining issues, 289 advancing, 27 unchanged on the Frankfurt exchange.