The DAX Index Opens 0.04% Higher

The DAX 40 hovered near the flatline around 26,120 on Wednesday, as caution prevailed amid Middle East uncertainty and ahead of the release of FOMC minutes later in the day. US and Iranian officials have dug in and appear prepared for an extended stand-off, raising prospects of energy disruptions and stoking inflation concerns. Weakness in the technology sector also weighed on sentiment. Tech stocks and retailers faced pressure, while telecoms, chemicals and industrials provided some support. Among single stocks, Scout24 (-1.6%), Commerzbank (-1.4%), Zalando (-1.3%) and Infineon Technologies (-0.9%) posted the largest declines. On the flip side, top performers included MTU Aero Engines (0.9%), BASF (0.9%), Deutsche Telekom (0.8%) and Airbus (0.8%).

The DAX Index is gaining 10 points or 0.04 percent on Wednesday. Leading the gains are Deutsche Telekom (1.13%), BASF (0.92%) and Volkswagen (0.82%). Top losers are Zalando (-1.50%), Commerzbank (-1.10%) and Hannover Rueck (-0.94%).

The DAX Index decreased 210 points or 0.80 percent on Tuesday to close at 26128 points. The decline was led by Infineon (-7.15%), Siemens Energy (-5.23%) and HeidelbergCement (-2.65%). On the upside, the strongest performers were SAP (2.24%), Bayer (1.75%) and Deutsche Telekom (1.66%).