DAX Edges Higher In Cautious Trade

(RTTNews) - Despite concerns over a potential U.S. government shutdown, German stocks are up firmly in positive territory a little past noon on Monday, with stocks from healthcare and technology sectors finding fairly good support.

The benchmark DAX was up 80.17 points or 0.34% at 23,813.26 a little while ago.

Symrise, Rheinmettal, Infineon Technologies, Siemens Healthineers, Volkswagen and Merck are up 1 to 1.6%.

Porsche Automobil Holding, Munich RE, Fresenius, MTU Aero Engines, Mercedes-Benz, Heidelberg Materials and Deutsche Boerse are up with moderate gains.

Commerzbank is down nearly 2.5%. Deutsche Bank is down by about 1%, Continental and Fresenius Medical Care declining by 0.7% and 0.6%, respectively. E.ON, Beiersdorf, Allianz and RWE are also weak.

On the economic front, a report from the European Commission showed the economic sentiment indicator in the Euro Area edged up to 95.5 in September froman upwardly revised 95.3 in August and slightly higher than market expectations of 95.2.

Euro Area consumer confidence was at -14.9 in September, up from -15.5 in August and in line with the preliminary estimate.