Frankfurt’s DAX 40 fell about 1.4% on Friday to close at 22,315, its lowest level since April 2025, extending losses into a second session as investors remained doubtful about the likelihood of a ceasefire in the Iran conflict. Market anxiety persisted after a week of conflicting headlines, even as US President Donald Trump postponed planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure by ten days, to 6 April.
Meanwhile, ECB President Christine Lagarde told The Economist on Thursday that markets may be underestimating the impact of the energy shock on the global economy, warning that Europe is particularly vulnerable. Industrials, technology stocks, banks, and utilities led the declines.
Among individual names, MTU Aero Engines (-4.1%) and Rheinmetall (-4%) underperformed, while Infineon, Siemens Energy, Qiagen NV, Siemens, and RWE also recorded sharp losses. On the upside, chemical giant BASF (+2.3%) attracted strong buying interest after inaugurating its new integrated production site in southern China. For the week, the DAX slipped 0.3%.
