-- The German blue-chip DAX index recovered, closing 1.41% higher on Thursday, as investors digested the European Central Bank's latest policy decision alongside a flurry of corporate updates and economic data.
In a widely expected move, the ECB kept its key interest rates unchanged as the euro area's inflation rate hovers near the central bank's 2% medium-term target. The central bank's Governing Council also reiterated its data-dependent approach to rate decisions, noting continued uncertainty amid ongoing global trade disputes and geopolitical tensions.
"There remains a sense of calm confidence, with references to the resilience of the economy in recent quarters and longer-term inflation expectations remaining well-anchored. But there is also a sense of rising concern the longer the conflict in the Middle East continues," Deutsche Bank Chief European Economist Mark Wall said. "Overall, this is a statement that does not pre-commit the ECB to hiking in June. But it does not stop the ECB from hiking in June either."
In other economic news, provisional data from Destatis showed that Germany's gross domestic product ticked up 0.3% in the first quarter from a revised 0.2% increase in the previous three-month period, surpassing the consensus estimate from Investing.com of 0.1%
"Details will only be released in a few weeks, but according to the statistical office's press release, GDP growth was driven by stronger private and public consumption as well as stronger exports. A note of caution: as this flash estimate does not include any hard data for March, a downward revision of today's data cannot be excluded," ING wrote, adding that the German economy is "defying the adverse impact of the war in the Middle East, for now at least."
On the corporate front, BASF (BAS.F) was up 1.28%, as mwb Research noted that the chemicals group's first-quarter beat obscures "underlying weakness." BASF delivered sales of 16.02 billion euros and adjusted EBITDA of 2.36 billion euros, both coming in ahead of consensus estimates at 15.9 billion euros and 2.19 billion euros, respectively, despite year-over-year declines.
"BASF delivered a modest Q1 beat on adj. EBITDA, but the quality remains weak, driven primarily by volume growth (notably from China and the Zhanjiang ramp-up) rather than underlying demand, with continued pricing pressure (-4.8% ex-metals) and FX headwinds weighing on profitability, especially in upstream segments," mwb said.
Meanwhile, Deutsche Post (DHL.F), d/b/a DHL Group, reported a higher-than-expected first-quarter group EBIT of 1.48 billion euros, up 8.3% year over year and 7.5% ahead of company-compiled consensus, according to Bernstein. The logistics group rose to the top spot, climbing 7.51% at closing.
Trading venues Xetra and Börse Frankfurt will be closed on Friday for Labor Day.