The DAX in Frankfurt edged up 0.3% to cross 25,200 on Thursday, hitting a new milestone and outperforming regional peers as investors grappled with rising geopolitical risks. Relations between the US and Russia were under scrutiny, especially after the US seizure of two oil tankers linked to Venezuela, one of which was Russian-flagged. US ambitions over Greenland, coupled with President Trump’s call for a 50% increase in annual defense spending to $1.5 trillion by 2027, have driven defense stocks to lead the gains. Rheinmetall, Renk and Hensoldt rose 3%, 1.9% and 0.9%, respectively. Bayer (1.3%), BASF (0.9%) and Siemens Healthineers (0.7%) were also among the top performers.
The CAC 40 slipped 0.2% to around 8,220 on Thursday, extending marginal losses from the previous session, as investors remained cautious over geopolitical risks. Saint-Gobain fell 1.9% after UBS downgraded the stock to “sell” and cut its target price from €92 to €78, while the company also signaled plans to delist from the London Stock Exchange. LVMH dropped 0.6% following the appointment of Amandine Ohayon as CEO of Givenchy, effective January 9, 2026. Other notable decliners included ArcelorMittal (-2.4%), Stellantis NV (-1.7%) and Essilor (-1.6%). On the upside, defense stocks outperformed after news that US President Trump called for increased defense spending, with Thales (+1.4%), Airbus (+0.5%) and Safran (+0.4%) leading gains. Bank shares also supported the market, including BNP Paribas (+1.6%), Credit Agricole (+0.8%) and Societe Generale (+0.2%).
