Germany's stock market closed higher on Thursday, with gains concentrated in Software, Retail and Media sectors that helped push benchmark indices into positive territory by the end of the session.
At the close in Frankfurt, the DAX rose 0.40%. The MDAX finished up 0.11% and the TecDAX increased 0.13%.
Notable movers on the DAX
Leading the DAX winners was Deutsche Boerse AG (ETR:DB1Gn), which climbed 3.61% or 7.90 points to end the day at 226.50. SAP SE (ETR:SAPG) added 3.26% or 5.44 points, closing at 172.22, while Fresenius Medical Care KGAA ST (ETR:FMEG) advanced 2.56% or 0.98 points to finish at 39.22.
On the downside, Heidelberg Materials AG (ETR:HEIG) lost 4.95% or 9.90 points to close at 190.00. MTU Aero Engines NA O.N. (ETR:MTXGn) slipped 3.12% or 11.90 points to end at 369.50, and Siemens Energy AG (ETR:ENR1n) declined 2.69% or 4.55 points to 164.85.
MDAX and TecDAX highlights
Auto marketplaces and apparel retailers were among the stronger performers on the mid-cap board. AUTO1 Group SE (ETR:AG1G) jumped 10.65% to 17.56 and Puma SE (ETR:PUMG) rose 9.82% to 24.83. IONOS Group SE (ETR:IOSn) gained 5.81% to close at 22.75.
Conversely, Freenet AG NA (ETR:FNTGn) declined sharply, falling 13.94% to 26.30. Kion Group AG (ETR:KGX) dropped 10.68% to 56.45, and Jungheinrich AG O.N.VZO (ETR:JUNG_p) was down 8.30% to 32.48.
On the TecDAX, technology and software names again stood out. IONOS Group SE (ETR:IOSn) was among the top performers, up 5.81% to 22.75. Atoss Software AG (ETR:AOFG) climbed 5.62% to 88.30 and Aixtron SE (ETR:AIXGn) rose 5.48% to 25.58. The lower end of the TecDAX was led by Freenet AG NA (ETR:FNTGn), down 13.94% to 26.30, Hensoldt Ag (ETR:HAGG) which fell 4.31% to 76.65, and United Internet AG NA (ETR:UTDI) which declined 2.52% to 24.72.
Market breadth, records and volatility
Rising stocks outnumbered decliners on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange by 335 to 288, while 27 issues finished unchanged. Shares of Freenet AG NA (ETR:FNTGn) fell to 52-week lows, losing 13.94% or 4.26 to 26.30. By contrast, Aixtron SE (ETR:AIXGn) reached a 52-week high after rising 5.48% or 1.33 to 25.58.
The DAX volatility index, which tracks implied volatility in DAX options, fell 5.44% to 17.55.
Commodities and currencies
Commodity markets showed mixed performance at the close. Gold futures for April delivery were down 0.48% or 25.19 to 5,201.01 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery increased 1.59% or 1.04 to 66.46 a barrel, while the May Brent contract rose 1.87% or 1.32 to 72.01 a barrel.
In currency markets, EUR/USD was unchanged 0.18% at 1.18, and EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.28% at 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.15% to 97.77.
Takeaway
Thursday's session closed with modest broad-market gains, led by software, retail and media sectors. Volatility measures eased and commodity prices diverged, with oil higher and gold lower, while currency and dollar index moves were relatively muted.