Tech Quake Bounces Off: DAX Shines With Defensive Strength!
Despite a global sell-off in the technology sector, the German benchmark index proved extremely resilient on Thursday. After a weak start, the DAX fought its way steadily upward, closing with a gain of 0.33 percent at 25,382.62 points—its highest level in over a week. In late trading, the barometer touched the critical 100-day moving average at around 25,420 points almost to the millimeter. The explanation for this remarkable relative strength lies in the index structure: while Wall Street groaned under the massive pressure of AI and chip stocks, defensive sectors such as healthcare and real estate shielded the tech-light DAX. The MDAX also benefited from this dynamic, gaining 0.55 percent.
TSMC Records Fizzle Out: Brutal Sell-Off Razes German Chip Stocks
In the semiconductor sector, however, sheer panic prevailed. Not even a brilliant jump in profits and historic record sales from industry leader TSMC could stop the global downward pressure. On the domestic trading floor, Infineon plunged by 5.2 percent as the weakest DAX stock. The second row was hit even more brutally: chip suppliers and secondary stocks such as Aixtron, Elmos, and Siltronic were mercilessly punished with losses of up to 13 percent. The tense sentiment was fueled by a sharp rise in US producer prices, which further stoked rampant interest rate fears and noticeably drove up risk premiums on corporate bonds. Instead, reliable stocks such as Scout24, Rheinmetall, and Zalando were in demand.
Witching Hour and Inflation Hurdle: The Final Stress Test Before the Weekend!
Today, Friday, highly volatile trading threatens due to the monthly options expiration day. Since Fed representatives like Kevin Warsh consistently avoided giving concrete interest rate signals for the year-end sprint during the IMF meeting overnight, the market remains extremely data-driven—especially since the blackout period for US central bankers begins tomorrow. In the morning, full focus shifts to European inflation: if the price surge to 3.8 percent is confirmed, pressure on the ECB will grow massively. The day is flanked by important US industrial data and sales figures from Schneider Electric, which act as a sentiment indicator for Siemens Energy. The all-decisive core question is: Will the DAX use its current resilience for a genuine weekly close above the 100-day moving average, or will the toxic mix of sticky inflation and tech weakness push the index back into no-man's-land?
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