German Blue-chip DAX Index Closes Higher; Eurozone Inflation Accelerates

11:47 AM EDT, 10/16/2026 (MT Newswires) -- German shares ended Friday's trading in the green, with the blue-chip DAX index closing the week 0.94% higher, following the release of the latest eurozone inflation print. According to final data from Eurostat, the euro area's annual inflation rose to 3.8% in September from 3.2% previously, in line with the flash estimate. Meanwhile, the annual core rate, which excludes energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, came in at 2.5%, consistent with the initial reading and above the prior month's 2.4%. For the month, energy was cited as the highest contributor, followed by services, non-energy industrial goods, and food, alcohol and tobacco. As energy inflation remains a primary driver of consumer price growth, policymakers are reportedly shifting their focus to safeguarding the bloc's future fuel supplies. Citing three diplomats and two European Union officials, Politico reported that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is said to have proposed an EU-wide strategic gas reserve as a long-term safeguard against anticipated winter shortages, though implementation details remain unclear. Back home, Germany agreed to expand its bilateral defense cooperation with the UK, with the latest UK-Germany Ministerial Group on Equipment and Capability Cooperation meeting advancing key joint projects. One of the initiatives involves the development of long-range strike capabilities. Meanwhile, Germany and France agreed on a joint approach to securing the future of Europe's automotive industry, aiming to support the sector's transition while maintaining climate goals and ensuring future vehicles are produced in Europe. In corporate news, Commerzbank (CBK.F) rose 0.80% after UniCredit announced on Thursday that it received European Central Bank approval to raise its stake in the German lender past the 30% threshold without upper limits. The Italian lender expects to fulfill the remaining conditions to acquire 50% of voting rights in Commerzbank around the end of 2026. Mercedes-Benz Group (MBG.F) and Nvidia (NVD.F) will expand their collaboration to build next-generation self-driving and driver-assistance systems over the next decade. The partnership integrates the German carmaker's automotive engineering and in-house operating system with Nvidia's artificial intelligence technologies and automated driving and safety software. Mercedes-Benz gained 3.05%, while Nvidia was down 0.39% on Xetra.