Frankfurt (Reuters) - According to calculations by banks and brokerage houses, the DAX will open higher on Thursday.

On Wednesday it had closed 0.4 percent firmer at 16,945.48 points. After Tuesday's disappointing US inflation data, stock market investors came to terms with the prospect of interest rates remaining high for longer and once again bought shares. Wall Street also closed higher.

On Thursday, ECB President Lagarde will answer questions on monetary policy from members of the EU Parliament in the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. Investors are hoping that the regular hearing will provide clues as to when the euro central bank could complete the interest rate turnaround this year.

The EU Commission will also present its winter forecast. In November, the Brussels authority predicted a 1.2% increase in gross domestic product (GDP) for 2024 for the countries of the monetary union, coupled with the prospect of declining inflation and a continued robust labor market.

In the corporate sector, CEO Manfred Knof will present Commerzbank's figures for 2023 and an outlook for the current year. This should provide investors with information on how the bank intends to cushion the impact of the expected turnaround in interest rates.

               Closing prices of European indices as at Dax 16,945.48 Dax future 17,056.00 EuroStoxx50 4,709.22 EuroStoxx50 future 4,744.00 Closing prices of US indices as at Change previous trading day Dow Jones 38,424.27 +0.4 per cent Nasdaq 15,859.15 +1.3 per cent S&P 500 5,000.62 +1.0 per cent Asian indices as at Change Thursday Nikkei 38.12     
 (Report by Zuzanna Szymanska, Daniela Pegna, edited by Kerstin Dörr. If you have any queries, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and the economy) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)