FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - The DAX continues to struggle at the chart barrier of 25,000 points. In early trading, its index slipped by 0.15 percent to 24,950 points. The MDAX lost 0.17 percent to 31,907 points, and the eurozone benchmark EuroStoxx also edged slightly into negative territory.
So far this week, investors have repeatedly lacked the willingness to buy in at the 25,000-point mark. They are waiting on the sidelines for the U.S. jobs report, which will be released this afternoon Central European Time. Ahead of this, there was also little momentum from U.S. stock exchanges in the middle of the week: although the leading Dow Jones Industrial index was able to continue its record run the previous day, by the end, hardly any of its gains remained.
"The U.S. labor market data for January is something like the number of the week for the stock markets," wrote market observer Thomas Altmann of QC Partners in the morning. After several disappointing reports, a stabilization at a low level is now expected. Should it weaken further, this could "put the soon-to-depart Fed Chairman Jerome Powell under renewed political pressure."/tih/mis
