Frankfurt's DAX 40 pared early losses on Friday to trade nearly flat around 23,590, as a pullback in crude oil prices helped calm investor concerns over the conflict in the Middle East. Even so, conditions remain tense and volatility is expected to persist. Zalando continued to stand out, climbing 8.7% after Bernstein upgraded the stock from “underperform” to “market perform” and lifted its price target to EUR 25.00 from EUR 23.00. The share also extended gains from Thursday, supported by the newly announced share buyback program, a fresh e-commerce partnership with Levi Strauss, and an upbeat outlook for 2026.