The Dax is expected to open in negative territory on Thursday, according to futures market trends. On Wednesday, hopes for a swift end to the Iran conflict had propelled the Dax up 2.7 percent to 23,298.89 points. Wall Street also trended higher after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. would conclude the war relatively quickly. However, Trump subsequently dampened expectations for a near-term resolution, leaving markets once again speculating on the further trajectory of the Middle East conflict.

While Trump announced overnight that strategic U.S. objectives would soon be met, he simultaneously warned of "extremely harsh" strikes over the next two to three weeks. Investors are also likely to monitor British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper's scheduled virtual meeting on Thursday with representatives from 35 countries, including Germany and France, to discuss post-conflict measures.

The European Central Bank's (ECB) economic bulletin is also in the spotlight. Rising energy prices resulting from the Iran war are putting pressure on policymakers to raise key interest rates. Furthermore, investors are awaiting U.S. trade balance data and the weekly figures for initial jobless claims.

On the corporate front, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is set to release its March sales figures. Experts anticipate another weak quarter.

Closing levels of European Level  

Equity Indices and

Futures on Wednesday

Dax 23,298.89    

EuroStoxx50 5,732.71    

EuroStoxx50 Future 5,658.00    

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Closing levels of Level Change in

U.S. Indices on Wednesday Percent

Dow Jones 46,565.74   +0.5%  

Nasdaq 

S&P 500  6,575.32   +0.7%  

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Asian Indices on Levels at 07:00 Change in

Thursday CET Percent

Nikkei  52,449.65   -2.4%  

Shanghai 3,927.60   -0.5%  

Hang Seng 25,004.95   -1.1%  

(Report by Sanne Schimanski and Anika Ross, edited by Christian Götz. 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).)