The DAX Index Opens 0.26% Higher

The DAX 40 edged up 0.3% toward 25,200 on Friday, marking the second session of gains, mirroring cautious movements across European markets. Expectations that negotiations between the US and Iran would continue despite the recent exchange of fire continued to support investor sentiment. According to some sources, the White House is preparing for a "prolonged but controlled escalation" with Tehran rather than a full-scale conflict. Meanwhile, the tech sector came under renewed pressure, with traders focused on the highly anticipated US market debut of South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix. Telecommunication companies stood out, with Deutsche Telekom rising 2.9% after receiving a "buy" rating from JP Morgan. Bayer gained 2.6% after agreeing to sell a minority stake in its contraceptives business to Apollo Global Management for €3 billion. Conversely, chipmaker Infineon Technologies (-2.7%) and AI-related Siemens Energy (-1.6%) lagged. For the week, the index was poised to decline over 2%.

The DAX Index is picking up 66 points or 0.26 percent on Friday. Gains are led by Deutsche Telekom (2.68%), HeidelbergCement (2.22%) and Bayer (2.09%). Biggest losers are Infineon (-2.07%), Scout24 (-1.23%) and Siemens Energy (-1.19%).

The DAX 40 closed about 0.9% firmer at 25,118 on Thursday, following sharp losses in the prior two sessions. The rebound was largely driven by tech stocks, buoyed by the possibility of China opening up to Nvidia chips and the success of the IPO of SK Hynix shares in the United States. Meanwhile, investors remained watchful for any developments in the Middle East amid ongoing US-Iran tensions. Among stocks, Infineon Technologies gained over 4%, with AI infrastructure stocks such as Siemens Energy (3.3%) an Hochtief (2.7%) also advancing solidly. Qiagen shares surged over 10%, driven by renewed takeover rumors. Bloomberg reported that the European molecular testing company is attracting preliminary takeover interest from private equity firms, including EQT AB and Advent. On the flip side, Rheinmetall (-4.1%) lagged. Volkswagen shares fell 1.1% ahead of a key supervisory board meeting expected to outline deep cost-cutting measures, including up to 100,000 job cuts and factory closures.