FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX)

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SHARES

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GERMANY: - LITTLE CHANGE - The Dax is likely to tread water for the time being on Thursday despite the fact that key interest rates in the USA are likely to fall soon. At just under 18,500 points, the leading Dax index was estimated by the broker IG to be a few points below the previous day's close around two hours before the start of trading. The Dax had previously risen slightly on two consecutive trading days. "Everything points to interest rate cuts in the near future," wrote foreign exchange expert Michael Pfister from Commerzbank with a view to the US Federal Reserve. As expected, the Fed left key interest rates unchanged the previous evening but, according to Pfister, gave clear indications that there will probably be a rate cut in September. Meanwhile, the daily agenda for Thursday is well filled with quarterly and half-yearly reports. From the DAX, BMW, MTU, DHL Group and Volkswagen, among others, will be looking at their books.

USA: - IN PLUS - The US stock market continued to rise on Wednesday. The technology-heavy Nasdaq stock market in particular rose. The significant losses of the previous day were more than recouped. The expected confirmation of key interest rates and the accompanying comments by the US Federal Reserve ultimately failed to provide any new impetus. The Dow Jones Industrial initially jumped by around one percent following statements by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell on a possible interest rate cut in September. Its record high seemed within reach again. In the end, however, it closed only 0.24 percent higher at 40,842.79 points. In July, the best-known Wall Street index thus gained 4.4 percent. It reached its most recent record high in the middle of the month at 41,376 points. The broad market S&P 500 gained 1.58 percent to 5,522.30 points in the middle of the week. The technology index Nasdaq 100 rose by 3.01% to 19,362.43 points. Its monthly loss thus shrank to around one and a half percent.

ASIA: - LOSSES - Asian stock markets fell on Thursday. Japan's leading index, the Nikkei 225, recently fell by 2.7 percent. The slight tightening of monetary policy by the Japanese central bank the previous day had an impact here. This had given the yen a further boost, which could potentially weigh on the country's export industry. A tailwind for the yen was also provided by the US Federal Reserve, which had held out the prospect of an interest rate cut in September the previous evening. The CSI 300, which comprises the 300 most important shares on the Chinese mainland stock exchanges, fell by 0.4 percent; and the tech-heavy Hang Seng Index of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region lost 0.2 percent.

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DAX 18508.65 0.53%

XDAX 18483.15 0.35%

EuroSTOXX 50 4872.94 0.66%

Stoxx50 4490.84 1.12%

DJIA 40842.79 0.24%

S&P 500 5522.30 1.58%

NASDAQ 100 19362.43 3.01%

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BONDS / FOREIGN EXCHANGE / CRUDE OIL

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YIELDS:

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Bund future 133.99 -0.02%%

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DEVISES:

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Euro/USD 1.0827 0.01%

USD/Yen 149.70 -0.19%

Euro/Yen 162.08 -0.18%

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CRUDE OIL:

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Brent 81.55 +0.71 USD

WTI 78.64 +0.73 USD

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/mis