19.03.202614:11:31UTC+00DAX Remains Under Pressure

Frankfurt’s DAX 40 fell 2.7% on Thursday afternoon, extending steep losses and trading well below the 23,000 mark amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and renewed hawkish signals from major central banks. The ECB, as widely expected, left its key interest rate unchanged at 2% and cautioned that the war in Iran is clouding the euro area’s growth and inflation outlook. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve similarly kept its benchmark rate on hold, with Chair Jerome Powell stressing the increasingly uncertain prospects for the US economy and inflation in the wake of the Iran conflict. Most sectors traded lower, with technology and financial stocks among the hardest hit. Vonovia remained the worst performer, losing nearly 10% despite reporting a €4.19 billion net profit in 2025, a figure largely driven by a one-off €2.5 billion tax windfall rather than underlying operations. Infineon was close behind, down 6.5%, while Continental, Commerzbank and MTU Aero Engines each fell more than 4%.