Germany: DAX Closes at 1-Month Highs.

Frankfurt's DAX 40 advanced further to close about 1.1% firmer at 25,278 on Wednesday, the highest since mid-January, aligning with its European peers. The main support came from defense stocks, following 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. At the same time, geopolitical risks persisted. Renk climbed 5.1%, Rheinmetall surged 4.9% and Hensoldt rose 3.7%. Market sentiment also improved on easing AI fears. Siemens, Infineon Technologies and SAP saw gains ranging between 2.1% and 3.9%. Among other stocks, Heidelberg Materials (4.6%), Siemens Energy (3%), Commerzbank (2.6%) and Deutsche Bank (2.1%) performed solidly. On the flip side, Bayer (-7.3%) underperformed after announcing a preliminary US Roundup settlement of up to $7.25 billion over 21 years, increasing provisions but not eliminating legal uncertainty.