Germany's stock market closed lower on Tuesday, with the benchmark DAX retreating 0.10% at the end of trading in Frankfurt. The MDAX and TecDAX also registered declines, falling 0.31% and 0.34% respectively, as losses in the Construction, Software and Financial Services sectors pressured the broader market.
Notable movers on the DAX
Among the best-performing DAX components, Rheinmetall AG (ETR:RHMG) led gains, rising 3.29% - a 59.00-point increase - to finish at 1,850.00. Healthcare and industrial group Fresenius SE & Co KGAA O.N. (ETR:FREG) advanced 3.04%, adding 1.46 points to close at 49.53. Commerzbank AG O.N. (ETR:CBKG) also posted a positive session, climbing 2.21% or 0.77 points to end at 35.64.
At the other end of the DAX spectrum, several large-cap names suffered noticeable declines. GEA Group AG (ETR:G1AG) declined 3.43%, losing 2.15 points to close at 60.45. Deutsche Boerse AG (ETR:DB1Gn) fell 2.77%, down 5.90 points to 207.10, while software giant SAP SE (ETR:SAPG) slipped 2.69%, a loss of 5.41 points to finish at 195.54.
MDAX and TecDAX leaders and laggards
On the MDAX, Puma SE (ETR:PUMG) produced the largest move, rising 9.02% to 23.58. Hensoldt Ag (ETR:HAGG) gained 2.90% to settle at 87.00, and eyewear retailer Fielmann AG (ETR:FIEG) added 1.98% to close at 41.15.
Conversely, Nemetschek AG O.N. (ETR:NEKG) led MDAX decliners, falling 5.71% to 76.75. Medical-technology company Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (ETR:AFXG) lost 3.75%, finishing at 27.70, and TeamViewer AG (ETR:TMV) dropped 3.35% to 5.62.
The TecDAX session echoed some of the MDAX moves. SUSS MicroTec SE (ETR:SMHNn) was among the top performers with a 5.46% gain, closing at 51.00. Draegerwerk VZO O.N. (ETR:DRWG_p) rose 4.41% to 92.30, and SMA Solar Technology AG (ETR:S92G) added 3.14% to finish at 38.70.
In TecDAX weakness, Nemetschek (ETR:NEKG) again featured among the largest falls, down 5.71% to 76.75. Carl Zeiss Meditec (ETR:AFXG) was similarly weak on the index, losing 3.75% to 27.70, while Eckert & Ziegler AG O.N. (ETR:EUZG) dropped 3.65% to 15.56.
Market breadth, highs and lows
Decliners outnumbered advancers on the Frankfurt exchange, with 317 stocks falling versus 295 rising and 43 unchanged. Shares of Carl Zeiss Meditec (ETR:AFXG) reached 5-year lows, down 3.75% or 1.08 to 27.70. By contrast, SUSS MicroTec (ETR:SMHNn) climbed to 52-week highs, gaining 5.46% or 2.64 to 51.00. Draegerwerk (ETR:DRWG_p) rose to 5-year highs, increasing 4.41% or 3.90 to 92.30.
The DAX volatility index, which measures implied volatility in DAX options, eased by 1.51% to 17.12 by the close.
Commodities and currencies
Precious metals and energy prices moved unevenly. Gold futures for April delivery dipped 0.03%, a decline of 1.70 to trade at $5,120.60 a troy ounce. In the oil complex, March crude oil rose 2.19% or 1.33 to $61.96 per barrel, while the April Brent contract advanced 2.01% or 1.30 to $66.07 a barrel.
Foreign-exchange rates showed modest moves: the euro strengthened against the dollar, with EUR/USD up 0.83% to 1.20, while EUR/GBP was essentially unchanged, moving 0.12% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures declined 0.82% to 96.07.
Takeaway
The session closed with modest losses across major German indices as sector-specific declines in Construction, Software and Financial Services outpaced gains in select industrial, defense and healthcare stocks. Market breadth favored fallers and implied volatility retreated slightly, while commodities and FX markets displayed mixed price action.