The DAX is the blue chip benchmark index for the German stock market. DAX stands for Deutscher Aktien-Index (DAX) and is comprised of 30 stocks which best reflect the dominant industries in trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Prices for stocks listed on the DAX are calculated via an electronic trading system called the Xetra. The DAX was established in 1984 and had a starting value of 1,000. The main difference between the DAX and the other world indexes is that it is updated based on the after-hours futures trading session for the next day.
Below is the chart example of the DAX. Notice how the DAX has dropped over 50% as a result of the U.S. credit crisis of 2008.
