German stocks advanced on Wednesday, marking a seventh consecutive session of gains, as investors processed a variety of regional economic data while anticipating significant upcoming data from the U.S., notably the non-farm payroll report for December. The benchmark DAX, having reached a record high of 25,098.63, experienced an increase of 175.69 points or 0.71%, settling at 25,072.63. Heidelberg Materials experienced an increase of 2.75%. MTU Aero Engines, E.ON, Siemens, Siemens Energy, and Vonovia saw gains ranging from 1.7% to 2%. Zalando, SAP, Rheinmetall, Bayer, Deutsche Telekom, Qiagen, Fresenius, RWE, and Merck experienced increases ranging from 0.7% to 1.2%. Wind turbine manufacturer Nordex experienced an increase of over 3% following the announcement of its selection to provide more than 414 MW of its equipment for 15 projects throughout Europe.

Commerzbank experienced a decline of 2.6%, while Scout24 saw a reduction of approximately 2.5%. Beiersdorf experienced a decline of 1.7%, and Adidas saw a decrease of 1.1%. Additionally, Fresenius Medical Care, Deutsche Boerse, Deutsche Bank, and Mercedes-Benz recorded losses ranging from 0.6% to 0.7%. Data indicated that Germany’s retail sales experienced an unexpected decline in November, falling by 0.6% month-on-month, in contrast to the revised 0.3% increase recorded in October. Sales were projected to increase by 0.2%. Year-over-year, the increase in retail sales moderated to 1.1%, down from 1.6% observed the previous month.

Throughout the entirety of 2025, retail sales recorded a genuine increase of 2.4%. In nominal terms, sales increased by 3.6%. Following a robust rise of 3.8% during the initial half of the year, the pace of sales growth moderated to 1.1% in the latter half. The Purchasing Managers’ survey results indicate that Germany’s construction sector has experienced expansion for the first time since early 2022, driven by a resurgence in civil engineering activity. The construction Purchasing Managers’ index recorded a value of 50.3 in December, an increase from 45.2 in November. The index has consistently stayed above the 50 no-change threshold since March 2022. The upturn was predominantly fueled by robust expansion in civil engineering endeavors.

The survey indicated that input price inflation reached a three-month peak. Subcontractor rates experienced a significant increase, rising at the fastest pace observed in over two-and-a-half years. According to preliminary estimates, consumer price inflation in the euro area decreased to 2.0% in December 2025, a slight decline from 2.1% in November. This represents the lowest rate observed since August. The HCOB Eurozone Construction PMI increased to 47.4 in December 2025, up from 45.4 in November, indicating the mildest contraction since February 2023, according to reports.