Frankfurt - German stock indices ended Monday’s session in positive territory, driven by sector strength in Industrials, Technology and Chemicals. At the close, the DAX rose 0.96%, the MDAX climbed 1.63% and the TecDAX advanced 0.34%.
Leaders and laggards on the DAX
The session’s top performer on the DAX was Brenntag AG (BNRGn), which rallied 5.78% - a gain of 2.80 points - to finish at 51.28. Siemens Energy AG (ENR1n) followed, adding 4.87% or 6.85 points to close at 147.60. Commerzbank AG O.N. (CBKG) rounded out the best performers, advancing 4.12% or 1.25 points to end the day at 31.58.
On the downside, Zalando SE (ZALG) fell 3.06% or 0.67 points to close at 21.22. RWE AG ST O.N. (RWEG) slipped 2.21% or 1.24 points to 54.94, while Vonovia SE (VNAn) lost 2.05% or 0.44 points to finish at 21.00.
MDAX movers
The MDAX saw several robust gains. Lanxess AG (LXSG) led the index, jumping 8.93% to 12.69. Delivery Hero AG (DHER) gained 7.91% to settle at 16.50, and AUTO1 Group SE (AG1G) rose 6.77% to close at 16.25.
Weakness on the MDAX was concentrated in a few names: TKMS GmbH (TKMS) dropped 5.12% to 80.60, Redcare Pharmacy NV (RDC) declined 2.77% to 32.32 and Nordex SE O.N. (NDXG) was down 2.60% to 44.26 at the close.
TecDAX action
Within the TecDAX, Ottobock SE & Co KgaA (OBCK) outperformed, rising 7.45% to 49.88. Siltronic AG (WAFGn) advanced 6.05% to 55.25, and Eckert & Ziegler AG O.N. (EUZG) increased 5.82% to finish at 14.55.
On the downside, Evotec AG O.N. (EVTG) lost 3.42% to 4.15, SMA Solar Technology AG (S92G) fell 3.16% to 38.06 and Nordex SE O.N. (NDXG) declined 2.60% to 44.26.
Market breadth and notable low prints
Advancers outnumbered decliners on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange by 348 to 296, while 16 stocks finished unchanged. A number of names registered multi-period lows: Vonovia SE (VNAn) fell to a 52-week low at 21.00 after a 2.05% decline, and both Redcare Pharmacy NV (RDC) and Evotec AG O.N. (EVTG) hit five-year lows, closing at 32.32 and 4.15 respectively.
Volatility and commodities
The DAX volatility index, which measures the implied volatility of DAX options, rose 6.77% to 31.29, marking a new six-month high.
Commodities retreated sharply in the session. Gold futures for June delivery dropped 4.32% - down 199.14 - to $4,410.46 a troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for May delivery fell 8.51% or 8.36 to $89.87 a barrel, while the June Brent contract declined 8.41% or 8.95 to trade at $97.46 a barrel.
FX and dollar index
Currency moves were relatively muted. EUR/USD was unchanged at 0.19% to 1.16, and EUR/GBP was unchanged at 0.25% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures eased 0.39% to 99.07.
Summary - German markets closed higher on Monday as select Industrials, Technology and Chemicals names led gains. Market breadth favored winners, though several companies recorded multi-period lows. Volatility increased and commodities slipped, with pronounced declines in oil and gold.