Frankfurt's DAX 40 fell about 2% to close at 22,380 on Friday, its lowest level since April 2025 and its third consecutive session of losses. Investors weighed the risk of further escalation in Middle East tensions, which has rekindled concerns about a prolonged energy crisis and renewed inflationary pressures. According to the Wall Street Journal, the United States is deploying three warships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the region to reinforce its position in the conflict with Iran. At the same time, Israel reported killing two senior Iranian security officials, an action that could trigger fresh retaliation.
On the corporate front, E.ON (-5.7%) and SAP (-4.2%) recorded the steepest declines on the index, while Siemens Energy, MTU Aero Engines, Rheinmetall, GEA Group, Zalando, and Siemens each dropped more than 3%. In contrast, Heidelberg Materials and Infineon outperformed, gaining 3% and 1.4%, respectively. Over the week, the DAX 40 registered a total decline of 4.6%.
