FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - With oil prices remaining high, investors are expected to adopt a cautious stance ahead of the weekend. Approximately two and a half hours before the Xetra open, broker IG sees the Dax trading 0.4 percent lower at 24,070 points. While this would keep the index above the previous day's low of 23,991 points, it would further extend a weekly decline that currently stands at just over two percent.
Brent crude remains at its highest level since early April, trading above 106 US dollars per barrel. As the US continues to await a unified proposal from Iran to resolve the conflict, it is further bolstering its military presence in the region. A third aircraft carrier has now arrived in the Middle East. The last time the US had three aircraft carriers within the Centcom regional command's area of responsibility was in 2003, during the buildup to the invasion of Iraq, the 'Wall Street Journal' quoted a US official as saying.
Meanwhile, solid results from SAP may provide some reassurance to investors. SAP is by far the weakest performer on the Dax in 2026, having lost around a third of its value. On the previous trading day, the shares approached their year-to-date low with a 6 percent decline./ag/stk
