DAX Up, Posts Marginal Monthly Gain

The Frankfurt DAX 40 index advanced by approximately 0.9% to close at 24,539 on Friday, thereby ending a three-day decline and standing out as one of the best-performing European indices. Investors processed a variety of economic reports and corporate earnings. Preliminary data indicated that Germany's economy grew by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025, surpassing expectations, following a stagnant third quarter and a 0.2% contraction in the second quarter. Furthermore, the inflation rate increased to 2.1% in January 2026 from a 15-month low of 1.8% in December, slightly exceeding market forecasts of 2.0%. Adidas shares led the gains, climbing 4.4% on the back of a share buyback announcement following robust 2025 results. The company intends to repurchase up to €1 billion of its shares starting in early February. Other significant gainers included SAP, which rose 3.7%, Brenntag at 2.7%, Deutsche Telekom at 2%, and Deutsche Bank at 1.9%, while Vonovia slipped, down 1.3%. The index recorded a modest 0.1% increase for the month, despite a 1.5% decline over the week.