Dax current: Investors are holding back in the middle of the accounting season - Symrise is losing ten percent

Dusseldorf. In the hustle and bustle of the accounting season, the Dax pauses on Wednesday. The leading German index is trading almost unchanged at 25,608 points. On Tuesday, the DAX closed 0.7 percent up at 25,590 points.

The focus in the middle of the week is, among other things, the figures from various DAX companies.

Deutsche Bank made a billion-dollar profit in the third quarter. Pre-tax profit rose by eight percent compared to the same period last year to a good 2.6 billion euros. After taxes there was a profit of around 1.9 billion euros, two percent more than the year before. The investment bank particularly contributed to the good performance. The shares of Germany's largest financial institution rose by 3.3 percent.

BASF benefited from the restructuring and further price increases in the third quarter. As a result, the chemical company's earnings increased unexpectedly significantly. The adjusted operating result (Ebitda) increased by 15 percent to 1.64 billion euros. Sales climbed by 14 percent to almost 16.4 billion euros. In view of strong developments in its core businesses, the group also raised its annual targets again. BASF shares lost 1.1 percent.

The car manufacturer Mercedes is suffering from the collapse of its Chinese business. After nine months, the car manufacturer achieved earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of 5.2 billion euros. That is 21 percent more than in the weak previous year, but a third less than in the same period in 2023. Despite the increase in profits, the Swabians no longer expect to achieve their annual targets. Mercedes shares increased by 0.5 percent.

After the market closes, Airbus will also present its figures for the third quarter. In the USA, Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet are following suit. Among tech companies, attention is primarily focused on the relationship between the huge investments in AI infrastructure and the development of free cash flows, says Andreas Lipkow, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. Free cash flow is the amount of liquid assets that a company has at its disposal in a period after deducting all expenses necessary for ongoing business operations and investments.

Doubts about the long-term financial viability of the AI ​​boom have recently increased significantly. It wasn't until mid-October that there was a massive selling of tech stocks. Losses among US chip companies totaled more than a trillion dollars within a week. At the same time, the AI ​​rally that has been ongoing since 2023 has already stalled several times. So far, price setbacks have always proven to be an entry opportunity.