Frankfurt’s DAX 40 fell 1.5% to below 23,000 on Thursday, erasing the sharp gains from the previous session as expectations for a swift resolution to the Middle East conflict receded. In his first national address since the start of the Iran war, Donald Trump gave no indication of a timeline for ending the hostilities and offered no plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He instead vowed further strikes on energy infrastructure should Tehran reject a proposed deal.
His remarks drove a sharp increase in oil prices, reviving concerns about renewed inflationary pressures and weaker economic growth. Selling intensified across most sectors, with technology, financials, and industrials leading the downturn. Among individual stocks, Infineon (-4.8%), Siemens Energy (-4.2%), Heidelberg Materials (-2.9%), Siemens (-2.8%), Airbus (-2.6%), and MTU Aero Engines (-2.5%) were among the biggest decliners. Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank lost 3.5% and 2.3%, respectively. Despite Thursday’s pullback, the DAX remained on track for a weekly gain of nearly 3%.
