Stocks, explained
What the best-known companies do, how they make money and what to watch out for.
-13.1%Adidas
The three stripes from Bavaria that half the world wears.
-11.4%Airbus
Europe’s planemaker, going head to head with Boeing.
+20.4%Allianz
One of the world’s largest insurers, based in Munich.
+17.4%BASF
One of the world’s largest chemical companies, built on the Rhine.
+63.1%Bayer
Medicines and seeds from Leverkusen, for over 160 years.
-17.4%Beiersdorf
The blue NIVEA tin, and everything that comes with it.
-32.8%BMW
Premium cars and motorcycles from Munich.
+23.2%Brenntag
The world leader in chemical distribution.
+25.0%Commerzbank
The bank of Germany’s mid-sized companies.
+5.4%Continental
Tyres from Hanover, for cars, trucks and bikes.
+18.4%Daimler Truck
Trucks and buses from Swabia, on the road all over the world.
+1.1%Deutsche Bank
Germany’s largest bank, with roots going back to 1870.
+32.0%Deutsche Börse
The company behind the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the DAX.
-0.2%Deutsche Telekom
Magenta in Germany, T-Mobile in America.
+40.5%DHL Group
Letters, parcels and freight for the whole world.
+5.1%E.ON
The power grids carrying Germany’s energy transition.
-12.3%Fresenius
Hospitals and IV drips from Bad Homburg.
-13.6%Fresenius Medical Care
The world leader in dialysis.
+8.9%GEA
The machines behind milk, beer and baby food.
+3.2%Hannover Rück
The insurer that insurance companies insure with.
-28.3%Heidelberg Materials
The cement, gravel and concrete that cities are built from.
+2.0%Henkel
From laundry detergent to the glue inside your smartphone.
+61.8%Hochtief
A German construction group that mostly builds in America.
+84.9%Infineon
The chips that control power in cars, wind turbines and data centers.
-28.5%Mercedes-Benz
The star on the bonnet: premium cars from Stuttgart.
+19.9%Merck
The world’s oldest pharma and chemicals company, since 1668.
-2.1%MTU Aero Engines
Germany’s jet engine specialist: building, servicing, repairing.
-4.8%Münchener Rück
The insurer that other insurers buy insurance from.
-6.3%Qiagen
The tools labs use to read genetic material and detect disease.
-42.4%Rheinmetall
Germany’s largest defence company.
+37.4%RWE
From lignite giant to renewable power producer.
-17.6%SAP
The software the world’s companies run on.
-32.3%Scout24
The company behind ImmoScout24, Germany’s biggest property site.
+12.0%Siemens
Technology for factories, buildings, trains and hospitals.
+35.6%Siemens Energy
Turbines, wind turbines and grid technology for the energy transition.
-22.9%Siemens Healthineers
MRI, CT and cancer therapy: medical technology from Erlangen.
+26.5%Symrise
The scents and flavours you smell and taste every day.
-24.0%Volkswagen
Europe’s largest carmaker, from the Golf to the Porsche.
-35.1%Vonovia
Germany’s largest landlord, with around 530,000 homes.
-8.4%Zalando
One of Europe’s largest online fashion retailers.
+23.4%Apple
The iPhone, the Mac, and the services that tie them together.
+1.6%Microsoft
Windows, Office and one of the world’s largest clouds.
+16.9%Nvidia
The chips that artificial intelligence runs on.
+3.2%Amazon
The world’s biggest online marketplace, plus a giant cloud.
+22.8%Alphabet
Google, YouTube and Android under one roof.
+15.0%Meta
WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, paid for by advertising.
-17.3%Tesla
Electric cars, battery storage and big promises.
+5.4%Berkshire Hathaway
Warren Buffett’s collection of companies: insurance, rail, energy and more.
+6.8%JPMorgan
America’s largest bank.
+7.5%Visa
The network behind billions of card payments.
+1.8%Mastercard
The second-largest card network outside China, after Visa.
+34.3%Johnson & Johnson
Medicines and medical technology for hospitals worldwide.
+25.1%Coca-Cola
One of the best-known drinks brands in the world.
-14.6%PepsiCo
Pepsi and chips: drinks and snacks from one company.
-22.7%McDonald's
The world’s biggest fast-food chain by sales, and mostly a landlord.
-48.4%Nike
The world’s biggest sports brand.
-9.0%Disney
Movies, theme parks and the sports network ESPN.
-40.0%Netflix
The world’s largest subscription streaming service.
+1.3%Costco
Bulk packs at low prices, for members only.
+146.5%AMD
Processors and AI chips: the big challenger.