European markets push higher, DAX set to extend gains on Thursday

DAX poised to rise on Thursday, European markets still elevated

European markets continued to push higher on Wednesday, with the French CAC, the German DAX, and the Italian FTSE MIB all rising. Interestingly, the Swiss SMI fell 114 points during yesterday’s session, to finish out the day at the 9,716 point level.

The French CAC was the best performing index here, rising 1.79% or 82 points; while the German benchmark added 1.33% to finish out the session at the 11,657.69 point level.

On a more granular level the best performing French equities from Wednesday were Renault (+17.47%), BNP Paribas (+8.82%), and Publicis (+7.16%); while the top DAX gainers were Daimler (+8.85%), Covestro (+6.20%), and BMW (+4.86%).

By comparison the worst performing French equities were Wordline SA (-5.42%), STMicroelectronic (-5.06%), and Airbus (-2.67%), while the worst performing German stocks were Infineon (-4.48%), Fresenius Medical Care (-2.32%) and Merck (-2.22%).

Commenting on the DAX’s movements from a technical perspective, IG Chief Market Analyst, Chris Beauchamp said:

‘For the DAX, the steady ascent from the lows of late May continues, with no sign that it is poised to slow down.’

‘Having closed the March gap down and moved above the 100-day simple moving average (SMA) at 11,530, the index continues to maintain the positive outlook, targeting 12,120, the 200-day SMA. Bears will need to see a reversal below 11,000 to provide an indication that some weakness is at hand,’ Mr Beauchamp further noted.

As of 7:15AM (GMT+2), IG Markets data suggests that the DAX is set to open around 141 points or 1.21% higher.

Other global market moves in focus

Elsewhere, US markets also continued to trend higher on Wednesday – though the tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite came under some pressure, as tensions flare between US President Donald Trump and US-based social media companies. Indeed, in a relatively vague announcement from the White House, it was announced that Mr Trump would sign an executive order related to social media companies on Thursday. No further details were provided.

Even so, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.21%, the S&P 500 gained 1.48% and the NASDAQ Composite closed out the session 0.77% higher.

How to trade global markets – long or short

What do you make of the current situation: do you see bullish or bearish opportunities? Whatever your view, you can trade indices, currencies and equities – both up and down – through IG’s trading platform now.

For example, to buy (long) or sell (short) the DAX using CFDs, follow these easy steps:

1. Create an IG trading account or log in to your existing account
2. Enter ‘Germany 40’ in the search bar and select it
3. Choose your position size
4. Click on ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ in the deal ticket
5. Confirm the trade