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DAX Bears Strike Back — Is a Weak Friday Close Incoming?

Frank Sohlleder
May 15, 2026

Bear Counterattack in the DAX: Is a Rude Awakening Looming at the End of the Week?


The bulls' hoped-for march through has brutally stalled! Although the German leading index impressively managed to fight its way back above the psychological bastion of 24,000 points on Wednesday, the urgently needed follow-through was countered ice-cold by the bears on Thursday. On paper, the Xetra close still shined with a solid plus of 1.3% at 24,456.26 points—but the after-hours reality is merciless: The gains pulverized almost completely! An extremely turbulent Friday lies ahead of us. The absolute warning signal for professional investors: the massive long positionings of retail investors. This proven contrarian indicator unmistakably signals that the big money (smart money) is extremely unsettled and the final sell-off in the DAX might not be over yet!

Geopolitical Poker in China: VW and Brenntag Defy the Uncertainty!


The ultimate tipping point on the scales remains world politics. All eyes are on the U.S. President's highly explosive visit to China. The daring goal of the high-ranking U.S. delegation: to forge the Asian rival into a decisive ally in the conflict over the blocked Strait of Hormuz! But the price for such a mega-deal could be historic—after all, China's top geopolitical goal is the integration of Taiwan. Amidst this global powder keg, several DAX stocks proved impressively resilient: Volkswagen sovereignly secured pole position with a 2.7% plus, closely followed by the GEA Group (+2.5%) and Brenntag (+1.7%). The chemical distributor Brenntag is shining particularly bright right now: the tough downward trend is broken, and a new yearly high was just recently reached. Despite adverse revenue declines, the company shines with rising gross margins thanks to ironclad cost discipline!

Deadly Sideways Trap: Is the DAX Pendulum Now Swinging Downwards?


Everything is at stake for today, Friday: If the DAX fails to manage a brilliant intraday turnaround, the trading week inevitably threatens to end with a negative balance. The current weekly chart picture is highly deceptive! The naked truth is: the leading index remains mercilessly trapped within the massive trading range of the week of April 12, 2026. Between the record level of around 25,000 points and the massive cliff edge at around 23,400 points, the market is currently wandering exactly in the neutral middle. The gigantic directional decision is imminent—the pendulum of volatility will soon swing mercilessly in one direction!

 

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