Market report: DAX expected with slight profits

Market report thanks to the mega trend AI DAX is picking up speed again as of: October 21, 2026 • 7:17 p.m

Buoyed by new AI confidence following good company data, the DAX picked up speed again today. One driver was the topic of artificial intelligence. Worries about France took a back seat for the time being.

Things can happen that quickly on the stock market. After the DAX had slipped close to the 25,000 point mark the day before, it reached its daily high today at 25,706 points. At the end of the day, the leading German index ended trading 1.4 percent higher at 25,645 points. Vague hopes for a solution to the deadlocked Iran conflict had already boosted the German leading index yesterday, after the daily low had previously been 25,050 points.

Once again, it was the seemingly endless success story surrounding the topic of artificial intelligence that drove the DAX. In addition, there are subtle signs of geostrategic relaxation. In any case, the diplomatic wires are currently on fire in the Ukraine conflict.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk and his space company SpaceX are in focus - because SpaceX made billions in profit last quarter after a long dry spell. The main trigger was strong growth in the Internet from space and AI data centers business. The bottom line is that SpaceX posted a profit of $4.4 billion, as the company announced after the US stock market closed. Sales jumped from around $5.58 billion a year ago to $14.58 billion.

Musk also indicated a merger between the electric car manufacturer Tesla, which he founded, and SpaceX. The Asian markets had already reacted positively during the night - and the Nasdaq technology exchange is also rising on Wall Street. The papers from Super Micro, a manufacturer of AI servers, were also in high demand. After the US stock market closes, further quarterly reports from Tesla, IBM and Meta are expected on Wall Street.

"The results are seen as a stress test for the global AI imagination and should answer the question of whether the tech giants can give the DAX's fragile recovery the necessary momentum," says Frank Sohlleder from ActivTrades.

Netflix shares are bucking the trend in New York. The streaming portal ended the last quarter with the weakest growth in years. Sales increased by twelve percent year-on-year to $12.9 billion. That was the lowest increase in three years - but the value was in line with analysts' expectations.

For years, Netflix was the undisputed market leader in streaming. more

The yield on ten-year French government bonds broke the five percent mark during trading today, reaching its highest level in 24 years. It's the latest sign of investors' growing concerns about the country's ability to repair its troubled public finances. At its peak, the return climbed to 5.002 percent, but recently it was slightly lower again.

“The situation in France is extremely complex and worrying for investors,” said Hamburg Commercial Bank chief economist Cyrus de la Rubia to the Reuters news agency.

Economic update from October 21st, 2026 Samir Ibrahim, HR, Economic update, Tagesschau24, October 21st, 2026 • 9:00 a.m. Oil prices also remain high at around $108 for a barrel of the North Sea Brent variety. Concerns about the situation in France and high oil prices due to the conflicts in the Middle East remain the biggest concerns for investors in this country.

Meanwhile, there was further news from the corporate sector. According to key data, Adidas impressed with an increase in its profit forecast after a record quarter. Deutsche Börse also achieved double-digit growth again in the third quarter thanks to good business with its financial market products.

The sporting goods company Adidas increases its forecast after a record quarter - and wins in the DAX. more

There were long faces at the dialysis specialist Fresenius Medical Care (FMC). The US government's plans for a realignment in the care of kidney patients brought its shares to the bottom of the DAX. For the Bad Homburg group, the USA is by far the most important market. After the stock market closes in the USA, DAX heavyweight SAP will present new figures.

This topic in the program: tagesschau.de | Stock market 5.45 p.m.: daily summary with DAX close | 10/21/26 | 6:14 p.m