The DAX ended the trading year on a successful note.
With an impressive year-end rally, the Dax has made good ground over the past few weeks. On the way from a record high to the next, the leading index even exceeded the threshold of 17,000 points for the first time in its history.
Dax provides investors with a reconciliatory end to the year Between the years, the barometer mainly moved between 16,700 and 16,775 points and ends the trading year at this level with a slight daily plus. As a result, the Dax has gained nearly 20 percentage points within the calendar year 2023. This is balm for the souls of Dax investors, who in 2022 had to contend with heavy setbacks on the stock markets.
This year, stock trading was sometimes under an unlucky star. The rapid interest rate increases of the central banks in the USA and Europe to curb galloping inflation have made borrowing more expensive – buying a new car or a residential property has become more expensive in several respects. But the golden stock market rule, according to which rising interest rates have a negative effect on stock markets, has not been proven true.
Stock run despite rising interest rates On the one hand, the higher policy rates have so far not been passed on to savers in a comprehensive manner by the banks. On the other hand, the stock markets seem to be somewhat disconnected from the real economic development and are already on their way to rosy realms of an indefinite future: because in addition to still high inflation, the economic environment has not brightened sustainably.
But although the mood in the boardrooms and among private consumers gives little cause for champagne celebrations: At least at the markets it is running smoothly at the end of the year. Just like the leading index as a whole, most of the 40 individual values listed in it were able to score in the course of the year.
Dax-40: Almost two thirds make a plus – half even at least 20 percent The strongest Dax value in 2023 is none other than the controversial index newcomer Rheinmetall: The Rheinmetall share has gained more than 50 percent in the past 12 months, driven mainly by the war in Ukraine. On rank 2 of the Dax-40 is the share of Heidelberg Materials, which was also able to gain almost 50 percentage points.
On ranks 3 to 5 are the software giant SAP, the sporting goods manufacturer Adidas and the Bayer spin-off Covestro, whose papers gained between 40 and 45 percent in the course of the year. All in all, it was a strong year for the Dax-40: Half of the titles recorded price increases of 20 percent or more, only 11 of the 40 slipped into the red within the year.
Dax-40: Almost two thirds make a plus – half even at least 20 percent Especially hard hit were the tail lights Siemens Energy and the Leverkusen-based Bayer Group, whose shares fell by more than 30 percent into the loss zone. Also Merck (minus 21 percent), Qiagen (minus 16 percent) and Porsche (minus 16 percent) recorded double-digit price losses.