Frankfurt's DAX 40 rose 0.6% to surpass the 25,100 mark on Wednesday, trading near the highest level since mid-January, with defense stocks providing key support. Renk climbed 3% and Rheinmetall gained 1.7% after reports that Berlin is considering a minority stake in KNDS, the Franco-German maker of Leopard tanks, ahead of its planned listing later this year. The move would help Germany keep influence over the group that represents a strategic joint project between the EU's two biggest economies. At the same time, geopolitical developments remain in focus, as talks between the US and Iran continue in Geneva. Meanwhile, the global markets appear to be stabilizing after recent turmoil tied to developments in artificial intelligence. On the downside, Bayer (-7.5%) slipped to the bottom of the index, after its Monsanto Unit had proposed paying $7.25 billion to settle lawsuits claiming that its weed killer Roundup was causing cancer.