FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX)

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SHARES

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GERMANY: - EXPECTED LITTLE CHANGE - Investors on the German stock market are likely to remain cautious on Monday after the second round of voting in France. The shift to the right in Germany's neighboring country has turned out to be weaker than expected, but uncertainty remains regarding the political consequences of the election. Around two hours before the Xetra start, the broker IG estimated the DAX to be almost unchanged at 18,478 points. A majority capable of governing is not yet in sight after the election, and the left-wing parties lack a common leadership. It is also uncertain what the result will mean for Germany and Europe. Investors are therefore cautious for the time being.

USA: - RECORD HUNT CONTINUES - After the holiday break, stock markets in the USA have risen to record highs. They received a tailwind on Friday from the US government's labor market report for the month of June. This provides the Fed with arguments for lowering interest rates. As a result, investors once again turned to equities. The broad market S&P 500 and the technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 rose to record highs. The Nasdaq 100 rose by 1.02 percent to 20,391.97 points. The index has already risen by more than 20 percent since the beginning of the year. The S&P 500 rose slightly less on Friday, climbing 0.54% to 5,567.19 points. The Dow Jones Industrial benchmark index, on the other hand, again lagged behind with a gain of 0.17% to 39,375.87 points. Tech stocks are not as heavily weighted in the Dow as they are in the Nasdaq 100 and the S&P 500.

ASIA: - OVERWHELMING LOSSES - The most important Asian stock markets fell at the start of the week. The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong recently lost 1.4 percent. The CSI 300 with the 300 most important shares on the Chinese mainland stock exchanges fell by 0.5 percent. Japan's leading index, the Nikkei 225, was up slightly in late trading at 40,950 points, having reached another record high shortly after the opening. The market environment is currently dominated by hopes of an imminent interest rate turnaround in the USA, but also by political uncertainties. For example, forming a coalition after the elections in France will be difficult and, with regard to the USA, Donald Trump could still be heading for a second term in office in view of President Joe Biden's recent weaknesses.

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DAX 18475.45 0.14%

XDAX 18506.34 0.23%

EuroSTOXX 50 4979.39 -0.16%

Stoxx50 4520.36 -0.25%

DJIA 39375.87 0.17%

S&P 500 5567.19 0.54%

NASDAQ 100 20391.97 1.02%

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BONDS / FOREIGN EXCHANGE / CRUDE OIL

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YIELDS:

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Bund future 130.96 -0.09%

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DEVISES:

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Euro/USD 1.0830 -0.09%

USD/Yen 160.55 -0.15%

Euro/Yen 173.88 -0.23%

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CRUDE OIL:

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Brent 86.42 -0.11 USD

WTI 82.91 -0.25 USD

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/zb/mis