FX.co ★ DAX Edges Higher

In the final full trading session of the Christmas week, Frankfurt's DAX exhibited a slight increase, surpassing the 24,320 mark—a peak not reached since November 12. This upward movement was primarily driven by advancements in the healthcare sector. Notably, Bayer experienced an over 1% rise, buoyed by the rally in Novo Nordisk shares following the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of a tablet version of its weight-loss medication, Wegovy. Merck also saw a 0.5% increase. Other significant gainers included Heidelberg Materials, E.ON, RWE, Deutsche Borse, and Deutsche Bank. Conversely, defense-related stocks were among the biggest decliners, with Hensoldt down by 1.3%, Rheinmetall decreasing by 1.1%, and Renk dipping by 0.3%. Additionally, major automotive stocks faced some downward pressure as recent European new car sales data revealed that volumes still trail behind pre-pandemic levels, despite a recent uptrend. On the macroeconomic side, stronger-than-anticipated US GDP figures have lessened the likelihood of Federal Reserve rate cuts next year. Meanwhile, investors remained vigilant regarding geopolitical developments.