Frankfurt’s DAX 40 edged into positive territory on Tuesday, gaining 0.3% to trade around 23,630, in line with broader European advances as investors digested the latest developments in the Middle East. Sentiment improved after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani were killed in Israel Defense Forces (IDF) airstrikes in Tehran. The news followed a fresh wave of Iranian attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure, which has driven oil prices higher and kept global inflation risks in focus.
Markets were also looking ahead to policy decisions from the ECB and the Federal Reserve, with both central banks widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged. Defensive utilities attracted strong buying, with E.ON up 3.3% and RWE adding 2.1%. Reinsurers Hannover Rück and Münchener Rück also performed well, rising 1.8% and 1.5%, respectively. In contrast, Scout24 (-2.1%) and Rheinmetall (-1.7%) were among the session’s weakest performers.
