DAX Slightly Higher

Frankfurt's DAX 40 gave up early gains to close marginally down at 24,094 on Monday, as caution prevailed amid geopolitical uncertainty and a packed week of central bank decisions, economic data and corporate results. Iran has reportedly put forward a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the conflict, after talks in Pakistan were cancelled, while President Trump suggested further negotiations could take place by phone. Regarding central banks, the Federal Reserve will set its policy on Wednesday, followed by meetings of the ECB and Bank of England on Thursday. On the data front, German consumer confidence fell more than expected, sinking to a more than three-year low in May. Top losers included Siemens Energy, down over 5%, followed by Merck (-2.8%), Deutsche Telekom (-2.7%) and Hannover Ruck (-2.7%). On the upside, shares of Siemens (3.2%) and Rheinmetall (2.1%) stood out. Commerzbank rose 1.9% after Bank of America upgraded the stock to ‘Buy’ from ‘Neutral’.

Frankfurt's DAX 40 rose 0.3% to around 24,200 on Monday, as traders eyed Middle East developments, while bracing for a busy week of central bank meetings and corporate earnings. Iran reportedly submitted a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war with the US, sparking cautious optimism about a possible resolution. This comes as peace talks remain deadlocked, with the second round of negotiations scheduled for the weekend cancelled. Attention will also be on policy decisions from the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, with rates set to remain unchanged but the ECB expected to signal tightening. On the data front, German consumer confidence fell more than expected, sinking to a more than three-year low in May. Rheinmetall and Siemens led gains among stocks, rising 2.2% and 2%, respectively. Commerzbank advanced 1.9% after Bank of America upgraded the stock to 'Buy' from 'Neutral'. On the flip side, Merck was the biggest laggard, down 1.7%.

The DAX Index is picking up 59 points or 0.24 percent on Monday. Gains are led by Rheinmetall (2.96%), Siemens (2.08%) and Commerzbank (1.92%). Biggest losers are Hannover Rueck (-0.88%), Henkel (-0.87%) and Munich RE (-0.76%).