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Week in review DAX 40 and Wall Street: Investors digest DeepSeek shock - Fed and ECB with no major surprises

Investors on both sides of the Atlantic have had an eventful trading week. In addition to the central bank meetings of the Fed and ECB, investors were initially confronted with an AI shock from China. The ongoing reporting season also continued to provide important impetus.

DAX Chart

Source: TradingView

DeepSeek thunderstorm causes temporary sell-off in the tech sector

Fears of a growing AI competitor called DeepSeek from China caused problems for the tech industry at the start of the week. Investors were concerned that the Chinese company could outperform established companies in the sector. As the week progressed, however, it became clear that the fears were perhaps somewhat exaggerated. Nevertheless, it is likely to continue to hang over investors' heads like a classic sword of Damocles.

China data and ifo index disappoint

There was also negative data from China. At 49.1 points, the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector fell below the growth threshold of 50 points, compared with 50.1 points in the previous month.

Surprisingly, the widely observed ifo business climate index rose against expectations (84.7 points) to 85.1 points. However, the German economy remains pessimistic, according to the report.

Incoming orders for durable goods in the US fell by 2.2% compared to the same month last year, contrary to forecasts (0.6%). These goods are significant in that they are generally associated with higher expenditure.

At midweek, Gfk consumer confidence in Germany was initially disappointing, deteriorating further to -22.40 points after -21.30 points in the previous month.

Fed leaves key interest rate unchanged as expected

Wednesday, however, was dominated by the Fed's first meeting of 2025. As expected, the US monetary authority paused interest rates, with the interest rate band remaining in the range of 4.25 to 4.50 percent.

In December, inflation (compared to the same month of the previous year) was 2.9%, after 2.7% in November. Jerome Powell had already emphasized last month that the Fed would be cautious with regard to further interest rate cuts. However, the new US President Donald Trump is pushing for further cuts in return, as he recently made clear at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

German GDP falls more sharply than expected - USA also showing signs of weakness

The development of gross domestic product also caused a stir on Thursday morning. According to initial estimates, GDP in Germany fell by a further 0.2 percent compared to the previous quarter, which was more than expected (-0.1 percent). In the third quarter, the German economy had still grown by 0.1 percent.

However, there were no further surprises in the ranks of the ECB. As expected, the euro guardian lowered the deposit rate, which is decisive for the financial market, by 0.25 percentage points to 2.75%.

In the US, annualized GDP was also weaker (3.10% vs. 2.30%). The weakness in growth may have tended to fuel interest rate cut fantasies.

German inflation and PCE data in focus on Friday

On Friday, the focus will be on German consumer price data (14:00) and in particular on the PCE core deflator for personal consumption expenditure (14:30). The latter is likely to be of particular interest as it could send out important US inflation signals.

SAP exceeds targets - Deutsche Bank with profit decline - Apple with record quarter

The reporting season also repeatedly provided important impetus. SAP, for example, was able to exceed its targets thanks to its success in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).

SAP Chart

Line chart showing the steady rise in SAP SE's share price from 2017 to 2025, reaching 268.50 in January 2025 - a remarkable trend in the DAX 40 that is attracting the attention of Wall Street.

Source: Tradingview

Deutsche Bank, however, referred to high costs for the settlement of legal disputes and thus to a decline in profits.

Deutsche Bank Chart

Line chart showing the share price of Deutsche Bank AG from 2016 to 2025. With a remarkable rise in 2025 to over 19,000, this increase caught the attention of Wall Street amidst the volatile fluctuations of the DAX 40 index.

Source: TradingView

The iPhone manufacturer Apple reported a record quarter and a positive outlook on Thursday. The success of the new iPad and Mac computer generations ensured a record result, it said.

 

Apple Chart

Chart showing the share price of Apple Inc. from 2017 to 2025. It shows a significant rise followed by a recent fall from 248.93 to 237.59, reflecting trends influenced by Wall Street dynamics.

Source: TradingView

Timo Emden in a dark suit and tie poses in front of a plain gray background and looks neutrally into the camera.
Timo Emden

Timo Emden holds a B.A. in Business Administration, is a market analyst and a certified blockchain expert from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. He has been following the global financial markets for over 14 years, with a focus on crypto assets. His assessments are based on chart technology and sentiment - he nevertheless considers important fundamental events to be significant. As a market expert, Mr. Emden is a valued contact for TV, press and radio.

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