The Dax is set to open lower on Wednesday, according to futures market trends. On Tuesday, the German benchmark index closed 1.3 percent higher at 24,044.22 points. Rising prices on European stock exchanges and Wall Street were driven by the prospect of further peace negotiations between the US and Iran. Meanwhile, the first official bilateral talks between Israel and Lebanon ended on Tuesday without tangible results.

Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is expected to address the press in Washington later today on the sidelines of the IMF Spring Meetings. Discussions are likely to center on the clouded economic outlook. The International Monetary Fund has cut its growth estimates for Germany more significantly than for other Eurozone countries.

On the corporate front, the quarterly earnings season for the US financial sector continues. Following mixed results from heavyweights such as Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Charles Schwab are scheduled to present their figures mid-week.

Closing prices of European Level  

Equity Indices and

Futures on Tuesday

Dax 24,044.22    

EuroStoxx50 5,984.51    

EuroStoxx50 Future 5,927.00    

----------    

Closing prices of Level Change in

US Indices on Tuesday Percent

Dow Jones 48,535.99   +0.7%  

Nasdaq 

S&P 500  6,967.38   +1.2%  

----------    

Asian Indices on Prices at 07:00 Change in

Wednesday CET Percent

Nikkei  58,400.20   +0.9%  

Shanghai 4,041.45   +0.4%  

Hang Seng 26,063.69   +0.7%  

(Report by Sanne Schimanski. For inquiries, please contact our editorial office at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)