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German DAX Index Blinks Red; Deutsche Telekom Shares Down on Merger Rumors

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German equities fell Wednesday, as investors assessed the federal government's spring economic forecast alongside a flurry of corporate updates.

At closing, the blue-chip DAX index was down 0.31%.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche said the government now expects Germany's gross domestic product growth at 0.5% in 2026, down from the prior forecast of 1%, as energy and raw material prices surge amid the US-Iran conflict. In 2027, real GDP growth is projected to slightly accelerate at 0.9%, against the previous estimate of 1.3%. Inflation for the two-year period is seen at 2.7% and 2.8%, respectively.

Speaking of the Middle East war, US President Donald Trump announced an indefinite ceasefire with Iran, the de-escalation remains tenuous, with the move viewed as a unilateral declaration without confirmation of compliance from Tehran or Tel Aviv. Trump also confirmed the US Navy would continue to block Iranian ports and coastlines.

"Three weeks ago, we saw a marked shift in the US-Iran War, from its 'kinetic' phase (bombing, etc.) to its 'economic' phase (mainly, the US's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz). This shift hasn't restored safe passage in the Strait yet, but traders are comforted, perhaps because the economic war attests to the US's strength (the navy's power to enforce a blockade and 'starve' Iran). The feeling is that this is a 'superior' strategy, which could lead to concessions from Iran earlier than otherwise," Macquarie said. "But controlling Hormuz also makes common cause with the US's recent attempts to control other critical 'straits', such as Gibraltar, Malacca, the Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap (GIUK), and Panama. If so, the US's long-term 'goal' may be to prevent China's hegemony by controlling all the physical nodes through which China's economy depends for its flows. Against that goal, having lower oil prices is of secondary importance to the US."

On the corporate side, German semiconductor company Infineon Technologies (IFX.F) surged to one of the top spots of the blue-chip DAX, rising 3.23%, benefiting from a sector-wide rally after Dutch computer chip maker ASM International and electrification and automation company ABB reported strong first-quarter figures amid the ongoing artificial ​intelligence investment boom.

Meanwhile, Deutsche Telekom (DTE.F) is weighing a potential merger with its US subsidiary, T-Mobile US, in a move to streamline the group's corporate and operational structure, according to a Bloomberg report. The deal would reportedly involve the creation of a new holding company designed to absorb the shares of both the German telecommunications company and its 53%-owned US unit. Deutsche Telekom was the worst performer, dropping 4.55%.

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US Equity Indexes Fall as Vance's Trip to Pakistan on Hold Ahead of Iran Ceasefire Deadline

US equity indexes fell on Tuesday, while crude oil futures jumped as President Donald Trump reportedly extended the Iran ceasefire deal until Tehran submits a "unified proposal" to end the war.The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.3% to 24,334.81, with the S&P 500 down 0.6% to 7,064.01 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lower by 0.6% to 49,149.38. All three gauges traded higher earlier in the session. All sectors except energy fell. Real estate, utilities, and industrials led the decliners.Trump said he has extended the ceasefire until Tehran submits a proposal to end the conflict permanently, CNN reported late Tuesday. The ceasefire was due to expire on Wednesday evening ET. Trump said he will continue the US blockade of Iranian ports.Trump said the extension was warranted as Tehran's government is "seriously fractured," CNBC reported.Vice President JD Vance was set to leave Tuesday morning for Pakistan, the expected location for the US-Iran talks, but his trip has been put on hold, CNN reported. The US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has contributed to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding a second round of talks, CNN cited sources as saying.West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures climbed 2.8% to $92.13, and Brent crude futures advanced 1.6% to $96.98.Most US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year up 4.8 basis points to 4.3% and the two-year climbed 6.9 basis points to 3.79%.Gold futures declined 2.3% to $4,718.1 and silver futures dropped 4.7% to $76.28.In economic news, US retail sales rose 1.7% in March, above the 1.4% increase expected in a Bloomberg-compiled survey and following the previous month's revised 0.7% gain. Removing both motor vehicles and a 15.5% surge in gasoline station sales, retail sales were up 0.6% in March, the same as in February.Pending home sales rose by 1.5% in March, above the 0.5% increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and following a 2.5% increase in February, according to the National Association of Realtors. The monthly sales index was down 1.1% from March 2025.In company news, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) raised its full-year earnings outlook on Tuesday, as the health insurance giant recorded an unexpected annual increase in its Q1 results. Shares jumped 7%, among the top gainers on the S&P 500 and the Dow.D.R. Horton's (DHI) fiscal Q2 results came in better than expected, although the homebuilder tempered its full-year revenue outlook. Shares advanced 5.8%, among the S&P 500's outperformers.Moody's (MCO) said Tuesday that it is deepening its partnership with Microsoft (MSFT) by embedding its credit intelligence into Microsoft 365 Copilot and other AI-driven enterprise tools, expanding its presence across financial workflows. Shares of Microsoft rose 1.5%, among the Dow's leaders.Apple (AAPL) shares fell 2.5%, among the Dow's laggards, a day after the company said that Tim Cook will become executive chairman after a nearly 15-year stint as chief executive officer, effective Sept 1.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$AAPL$DHI$MCO$MSFT$UNH
Asia Markets

Exchange-Traded Funds Fall as US Equities Decline After Midday

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Dow Jones^EEM^EXI^FAS^FAZ^GLD^IBB^IGM^IGV^IPK^IVV^IWMNasdaq Composite^IYE^IYH^IYJ^IYK^IYW^PMR^QQQ^RTH^SOXXS&P 500^SPY^UNG^USO^VDC^VHT^VIS^XLE^XLF^XLI^XLK^XLP^XLV^XRT^XSD$BETH$BITO$EETH
Asia Markets

US Equity Indexes Slip as Investors Await Fate of Iran Peace Talks in Pakistan

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Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$AAPL$DHI$MCO$MSFT$UNH