Germany’s DAX finished Thursday at 24,611, posting a marginal gain while sustaining a fresh record high, as traders paused to digest recent peaks on both sides of the Atlantic. Expectations of further rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and positive geopolitical developments in the Middle East were tempered by ongoing political uncertainty in France. On the corporate front, Heidelberg Materials led the gains, rising nearly 3%, followed by Bayer (+2.8%) after reporting encouraging 36-month Phase I data for its Parkinson’s cell therapy bemdaneprocel. Other top performers included Deutsche Telekom (+1.4%), Fresenius SE & Co (+1.4%) and Siemens Energy (+1.3%). On the opposite side, Zalando and Hannover Ruck posted the biggest declines, shedding 3.1% and 2.2%, respectively.