DAX Edges Higher as Import Prices Rise

Dax Futures

In the face of ongoing apprehensions regarding workforce upheaval stemming from layoffs associated with artificial intelligence, German equities are experiencing a modest uptick on Friday morning, buoyed by notable advancements in certain sectors. The benchmark DAX, which reached 25,407.75 earlier in the session, was up 59.90 points or 0.25% at 25,337.60 recently.

  • Scout24, Deutsche Telekom, and Siemens Energy are experiencing increases of 2.7%, 2.5%, and 2.1%.
  • Merck has increased by 1.7%, RWE has advanced by 1.35%, and Heidelberg Materials has seen a rise of 1.2%.
  • Qiagen, Vonovia, Beiersdorf, GEA Group, and Deutsche Boerse have experienced an increase of 0.7% to 1%.
  • Symrise, Fresenius Medical Care, Allianz, Brenntag, and Rheinmetall have recorded modest gains.
  • BASF is experiencing a decline of approximately 2% following the company’s projection of flat earnings for the year.
  • MTU Aero Engines has decreased by nearly 2%, while Infineon Technologies, Fresenius, Adidas, Siemens Healthineers, and Commerzbank have experienced declines ranging from 0.4% to 1%.

Delivery Hero has experienced a decline of over 4% following the announcement of its annual gross merchandise value, which fell marginally short of market expectations. Preliminary data indicated that Germany’s import prices increased at a quicker rate than anticipated in January; however, they were still lower in a year-on-year comparison, attributed to the significant decline in energy prices, according to a report from the statistical office Destatis. The import price index increased by 1.1% on a month-on-month basis, consistent with the figures reported in December, according to the data released. Analysts had anticipated a rise of 0.6%. The statistical office reported that this marked the largest month-on-month increase since January 2025, which also stood at 1.1%. Import prices decreased by 2.3% on a year-on-year basis, consistent with the figures reported in December.

In January, energy prices experienced a decline of 21.1% compared to the same month last year, while showing an increase of 3.5% from the preceding month. Germany’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 6.3% in February 2026, highlighting the persistent pressures stemming from three years of economic stagnation on the continent’s largest labor market. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, unemployment decreased by 14,700 to 3.07 million, a decline from January’s nearly 12-year peak of 3.08 million.