Germany: DAX Loses Ground.

Frankfurt's DAX 40 turned slightly negative before closing virtually unchanged at 25,312 on Friday, as traders digested fresh inflation data from the US and Europe, along with corporate results. Higher-than-expected US inflation in January diminished the prospect of monetary easing by the Federal Reserve. In Germany, headline inflation eased slightly more than expected to 1.9% in February from 2.1% in January and broadly in line with the ECB’s 2% target. Meanwhile, market sentiment continued to be influenced by AI-related anxieties, tariff uncertainties and geopolitical risks. On equities, BASF declined 1.9%, ranking among the worst performers, as the chemical giant reported a decline in adjusted operating earnings for 2025 and issued a disappointing outlook for 2026. Commerzbank (-3.7%) and Deutsche Bank (-2.7%) also faced heavy pressure. On the upside, Scout24 (4%) and Deutsche Telekom (3.5%) saw strong buying. The index rose about 0.2% this week and gained 3.2% for the month.