Frankfurt - Germany's equity market closed lower on Friday as losses in Software, Construction and Industrials led broad-based weakness across the exchange.
The blue-chip DAX finished down 1.44%. The mid-cap MDAX slid 1.27% and the TecDAX dropped 0.45% by the closing bell.
Leading and lagging names
Among DAX constituents, Infineon Technologies AG (IFXGn) was the session's top gainer, rising 3.63% or 2.16 points to finish at 61.66. BASF SE (BASFN) added 1.45% or 0.74 points to close at 51.65, and Continental AG (CONG) climbed 1.38% or 0.96 points to 70.68.
At the other end of the DAX, Rheinmetall AG (RHMG) slipped 9.18% or 123.20 points to end at 1,218.40. Allianz SE (ALVG) lost 5.04% or 19.60 points to close at 369.10, while Commerzbank AG (CBKG) fell 3.93% or 1.45 points to 35.47.
Mid-cap movers
Within the MDAX, Lanxess AG (LXSG) led gainers, up 2.46% to 17.47. Aixtron SE (AIXGn) rose 2.14% to settle at 50.04 and Bechtle AG (BC8G) gained 2.09% to close at 31.30.
RENK Group AG (R3NK) was the weakest MDAX component, down 6.38% to 48.11. Hensoldt AG (HAGG) declined 5.63% to 73.42 and Nemetschek AG (NEKG) lost 4.34% to finish at 61.70.
TecDAX highlights
Technology and semiconductor names provided some bright spots. Siltronic AG (WAFGn) jumped 12.36% to 99.55, Elmos Semiconductor AG (ELGG) advanced 5.75% to 206.00 and SMA Solar Technology AG (S92G) rose 5.58% to 63.35.
Additional decliners and market breath
Other notable falls included Hensoldt AG (HAGG) -5.63% to 73.42, Nemetschek AG (NEKG) -4.34% to 61.70 and Atoss Software AG (AOFG) -4.08% to 75.20. By market breadth, decliners outpaced advancers on the Frankfurt exchange by 416 to 211, with 19 shares unchanged.
Milestones and volatility
Several stocks reached notable price milestones during the session. Infineon Technologies traded at five-year highs, rising to 61.66. Rheinmetall fell to 52-week lows at 1,218.40. Siltronic hit three-year highs at 99.55. Elmos reached an all-time high at 206.00, and SMA Solar traded at 52-week highs of 63.35.
The DAX volatility index, which measures the implied volatility of DAX options, declined 9.82% to 20.93.
Commodities and FX
In commodities, Gold Futures for June delivery were up 0.20% or 9.51 to $4,720.41 a troy ounce. Crude oil for June delivery rose 1.03% or 0.98 to $95.79 a barrel, while the July Brent contract gained 1.51% or 1.51 to trade at $101.57 a barrel.
On FX markets, EUR/USD strengthened 0.46% to 1.18, while EUR/GBP was essentially unchanged, moving 0.12% to 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures traded lower by 0.19% at 97.76.
What this session showed
The session was characterized by broad selling pressure concentrated in Software, Construction and Industrials sectors, while select semiconductor and materials stocks recorded substantial gains. Market breadth favored decliners, and volatility as measured by the DAX options index eased during the day.