(Tendency added before the Asian session, US closing prices from Tuesday)

FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX)

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SHARES

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GERMANY: - DAX CONTINUES TO SEEK DIRECTION - After the small setback in the middle of the week, the DAX is likely to make some gains again on Thursday. Broker IG estimated the leading German index 0.3 percent higher at 18,115 points just two and a half hours before the start of Xetra trading. As a result, the DAX has moved a little further away from the 18,000-point mark, which it had already broken in the meantime. The weekly high for the Dax was 18,214 points on Tuesday. There was no impetus from the USA, where there was no trading due to the holiday. In Asia, the DAX fell slightly in the morning.

USA: - NO TRADING DUE TO HOLIDAY -

ASIA: - RESTRAINT - Investors on Asia's most important stock markets held back on Thursday. There was a lack of decisive impulses. In Tokyo, Japan's leading index, the Nikkei 225, was up just before the end of trading. In the Chinese special administrative region of Hong Kong, the technology-heavy Hang Seng Index fell by around half a percent. The CSI 300, which includes the most important stocks on the Chinese mainland stock exchanges, also fell by around half a percent in late trading.

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DAX 18067.91 -0.35%

XDAX 18084.70 -0.35%

EuroSTOXX 50 4885.45 -0.61%

Stoxx50 4505.24 -0.18%

DJIA 38834.86 0.15% (Tuesday)

S&P 500 5487.03 0.25% (Tuesday)

NASDAQ 100 19908.85 0.03% (Tuesday)

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BONDS / FOREIGN EXCHANGE / CRUDE OIL

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YIELDS:

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Bund future 132.28 -0.11%

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DEVISES:

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Euro/USD 1.0741 -0.02%

USD/Yen 158.16 0.05%

Euro/Yen 169.90 0.03%

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CRUDE OIL:

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Brent 85.11 +0.04 USD

WTI 80.52 -0.12 USD

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/mis