The blue-chip DAX index closed Friday 0.69% higher, as the market assessed the latest German industrial production and trade balance data alongside fresh corporate earnings and trading updates.
According to Destatis, industrial output in June was up 0.2% month over month, as expected, and against the revised 0.7% increase a month ago. Year over year, industrial production declined 0.1%, following zero growth previously.
"Despite the war in the Middle East and soaring energy prices, industrial production is proving resilient. Some industries or companies actually seem to have benefited from the war in the Middle East, as Asian competitors were hit harder by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. However, don't mistake a cyclical rebound for structural improvement. This is still only a cyclical rebound from low levels," ING said. "Even if the German economy has proven more resilient than some had feared, an expansion of the conflict into other trade routes would obviously pose a new risk to the economic rebound."
On the trade front, the Federal Statistical Office reported that Germany's calendar and seasonally adjusted trade surplus was 15.4 billion euros in June, compared with the revised 19.3 billion euros in May and the market forecast of 17.2 billion euros.
In geopolitical news, crude prices trended higher again as market watchers assessed reports on the supposed initial draft of the Iran-Oman proposal for the Strait of Hormuz, which looks to impose stringent commercial shipping controls, including limits on US and Israeli vessels, hostile-nation compensation fees and 20% cargo penalties for violations.
On the corporate side, Daimler Truck Holding (DTG.F) lost 2.81% and was the biggest loser, as the German automaker's second-quarter order intake came in weaker than expected across its business areas, with incoming group orders growing 27% to 74,448 units year over year.
"Daimler Truck has issued full Q2 results, with key [profit and loss] figures in line with the July 22 pre-release. However, unit orders up 27% y/y, but a 14% miss vs consensus ([Trucks North America/Mercedes-Benz Trucks] -17%/21% respectively)," RBC wrote. "Orders being somewhat soft the main surprise point, with no other major surprises given the pre-release."
Meanwhile, Munich Re (MUV2.F) was down 1.38% after the German reinsurer lowered its full-year 2026 group insurance revenue outlook to 62 billion euros from 64 billion euros earlier, following the revision of its reinsurance revenue expectations to 38 billion euros from 40 billion euros due to current business trends. Still, Munich Re said in its interim earnings report that it continues to expect a net result outlook of 6.3 billion euros amid expectations of "sustained advantageous business opportunities in the coming quarters."