Frankfurt’s DAX 40 trimmed early gains to finish virtually unchanged at 23,804 on Friday, after Thursday’s pullback, as investors focused on weekend diplomatic developments around several global conflicts. Markets were particularly attentive to planned talks between the US and Iran, set to take place in Pakistan on Saturday following a two-week ceasefire agreement. At the same time, Israel’s decision to hold discussions with Lebanon’s government further bolstered hopes for de-escalation in the region.
Separately, Bloomberg reported that Ukraine and Russia are edging closer to a potential agreement to end the war, citing a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
In single-stock moves, Heidelberg Materials outperformed with a 3.7% gain, followed by BASF (2.2%), BMW (1.8%), Siemens (1.7%), and Siemens Healthineers (1.7%). On the downside, Rheinmetall fell 5.9%, making it the session’s worst performer amid optimism over possible resolutions to major geopolitical conflicts. For the week, the DAX 40 rose 2.7%.
