
European stock exchanges report losses after a sharp rise in German consumer prices.
AI-generated summary
Current developments on the international financial markets, influenced by economic data and raw material prices.
Dusseldorf. The Dax was down around 0.3 percent at 25,121 points on Thursday afternoon. On Wednesday, the leading German index closed 0.8 percent lower at 25,199 points. The surprisingly strong rise in German consumer prices caused prices to fall on the stock exchanges in Europe.
On Wall Street, the most important indices closed mixed. In Japan, the Nikkei index temporarily rose by three percent on Thursday thanks to a rally in chip stocks. Micron's robust financial results fueled optimism about AI-related investments.
Also in focus on Thursday: The French government presents its draft budget for 2027. In terms of economic data, the purchasing managers' indices for industry in the euro zone and the USA are due in September and the labor market data for the euro area in August. The world's largest sportswear retailer and Adidas rival Nike presents its figures for the first quarter of 2026/27 after the US stock market closes.
Recovering crude oil exports from the Gulf region and a surprise increase in US inventories have somewhat eased supply fears in the oil market. The prices for the North Sea Brent and the US oil WTI (delivered in December) fell on Thursday by a good one and a half percent to 96.55 and 88.79 dollars per barrel respectively. In September, Brent rose by around 14 percent and WTI by more than five percent.
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The budget deficit of the municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate fell to 1.1 billion euros in the first half of 2026. The decline of 27 percent is primarily due to additional supplementary allocations from the state amounting to 300 million euros.
VW boss Oliver Blume proposes longer working hours to reduce labor costs in Germany. After the group terminated important collective agreements, negotiations are now underway about weekly working hours and vacation days, which are met with strong resistance.

Yields on global bond markets are rising to long-term highs. The trigger is a massive sell-off in US government bonds, which is putting pressure on interest rates worldwide due to concerns about inflation, high national debt and technical market factors.

With the start of the new fuel discount, fuel prices in Germany have fallen significantly. The ADAC recorded declines of over 14 cents per liter in the morning before prices rose again at midday. The measure remains controversial due to its effectiveness.

The Stuttgart District Court has opened insolvency proceedings for four Varta companies. Around 2,300 employees are affected. The insolvency administrator is hoping for investors, while 350 jobs will be lost in Nördlingen.

France's government bonds are coming under pressure as interest rates on 10-year bonds reach almost five percent. The government is planning austerity measures of 54 billion euros, but faces political resistance and a high debt ratio of 119 percent.