DAX Rises as Fresenius Medical Care Jumps on Buyback Buzz

Dax Futures

German equities experienced a slight uptick, entering positive territory on Friday morning. Data indicating an unforeseen increase in the country’s industrial output for November bolstered sentiment. Investors exhibited a degree of caution as they anticipated the forthcoming U.S. non-farm payroll data, scheduled for release later in the day. The benchmark DAX increased by 26.37 points, reflecting a rise of 0.1%, reaching 25,152.28 shortly before noon.

In the realm of economic indicators, Germany’s industrial production exhibited an unexpected increase in November, whereas exports experienced their most significant decline since May 2024, as disclosed by official data on Friday. In November, industrial output experienced a month-on-month increase of 0.8%, according to data. Despite being lower than the 2% rise observed in October, the increase surprised economists who had anticipated a decline of 0.6%. The favorable outcome was primarily linked to the expansion within the automotive sector and the production of machinery and equipment, according to the data presented.

  • Volkswagen experienced an increase of nearly 2.5%.
  • Siemens Energy and Adidas experienced increases of 2.2% and 2.1%, respectively.
  • Fresenius Medical Care experienced an increase of nearly 2% following the announcement of the continuation of its €1 billion share buyback program, which includes a second tranche of €415 million scheduled to take place from January 12 to May 8.
  • Beiersdorf, Henkel, Zalando, Mercedes-Benz, Infineon Technologies, and SAP experienced increases ranging from 1.4% to 1.8%.
  • Rheinmetall made significant progress in positive territory following the announcement of securing a contract valued at EUR 118.5 million.
  • Scout24, BASF, Porsche Automobil Holding, Brenntag, BMW, Siemens Healthineers, Continental, and Merck experienced significant upward movements.
  • Commerzbank experienced a decline of 2.7%.
  • Hannover Rueck and Allianz experienced declines exceeding 2%.
  • Bayer, Munich RE, Deutsche Boerse, MTU Aero Engines, Deutsche Bank, and RWE experienced declines ranging from 1% to 1.7%.

Industrial production recorded an annual growth rate of 0.8%, following a rise of 1% in October. Another report indicated that exports experienced their most significant decline since May 2024, whereas imports rebounded more than anticipated from October. In November, exports experienced a decline of 2.5%, marking a reversal from the previous month’s increase of 0.3%. Shipments were projected to hold steady. In the interim, imports experienced an increase of 0.8%, contrasting with the 1.5% decline observed in October. Analysts had anticipated a 0.2% increase. As a result, the trade balance recorded a surplus of EUR 13.1 billion, down from a surplus of EUR 17.2 billion in October.