Dax investors are downshifting. The German benchmark index opened Wednesday's session up 0.1 percent at 24,063 points. On the previous day, the prospect of further peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in the coming days had propelled the Dax 1.3 percent higher. "While the Iran conflict remains an underlying theme via energy prices, its intensity is waning," noted Andreas Lipkow, analyst at broker CMC Markets. "Investors are slowly returning to business as usual and focusing on the ongoing earnings season."

Among individual stocks, Aixtron shares surged by over 14 percent to their highest level in nearly 25 years. Investors cheered the upward revision of the company's guidance announced the previous evening. The chip equipment manufacturer raised its 2026 revenue forecast to approximately 560 million euros, within a range of plus or minus 30 million euros. These are "clearly positive news," even if they were already anticipated, one trader commented.

(Report by Stefanie Geiger, edited by Myria Mildenberger. For inquiries, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets)