Stock exchanges: Dax at an all-time high - New US-Iran talks announced

The prospect of a rapprochement between the warring US and Iran has pushed the Dax, Germany's leading index, to record highs. On Monday morning, the index opened at 25,912.59 points, up 1.11 percent, surpassing the July record high of 25,900.10 points. US President Donald Trump had announced new talks with Iran on the weekend and cancelled a major attack.

Consequently, oil prices fell sharply at the start of the week, reducing concerns about rising inflation and higher interest rates. The boost came from a significant rebound in US and Asian technology stocks and a strong finish to the earnings season for both sides of the Atlantic. JPMorgan's senior analyst Mislav Matejka praised the positive earnings season on both sides of the Atlantic, noting that profit growth was better than expected.

Across the US and nearly all of Europe, company earnings per share grew higher compared to the previous year's quarter. Like in the US and Asia, US technology stocks once again surged notably, largely due to strong guidance from US tech giants. Microsoft and Amazon had recently impressed with their quarterly reports. The slump from mid-July, when the Dax fell to around 24,650 points after the US re-engaged in attacks on Iran and Brent oil prices briefly rose above $100 per barrel, had been overcome.