DE30
What the DAX is
The DAX is Germany's main stock index. It tracks the largest and most traded companies listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The member companies are weighted by free-float market capitalisation, which is the value of shares that are available for trading. Bigger companies move the index more.
The name “DAX 40” refers to the number of member companies. The index used to be called “DAX 30”. After it was expanded, the official name became “DAX 40”.
You cannot buy the index itself. You trade a product that follows its price, such as a futures contract, an ETF or a CFD. A CFD (contract for difference) is a contract with a broker where you settle the price change in cash. You never own any German shares. For a general introduction, see Index CFDs explained and Stock indices.
Why the CFD is still called DE30
Many brokers, including Exness, list the DAX CFD under the symbol DE30. The symbol was set when the index had the older line-up, and brokers kept it after the expansion. Changing a symbol breaks saved charts, scripts and expert advisors in MetaTrader, so it often stays the same.
The symbol does not change what you trade. DE30 follows the current “DAX 40”. When you search for "dax" or "dax 40" in the platform, look for DE30 in the indices section.
A total-return index
Most well-known indices, such as the Dow Jones or the S&P 500, are price indices. When a member company pays a dividend, its share price drops by roughly that amount, and the index drops with it.
The DAX is a performance (total-return) index. It assumes that dividends are reinvested back into the index. Because of this:
- the DAX does not fall on dividend dates in the way a price index does;
- long-term charts of the DAX look stronger than charts of price indices, partly because of the reinvested dividends;
- comparing the DAX directly with a price index such as the French CAC or the British FTSE mixes two different methods.
Some CFD providers make cash adjustments on index CFDs around dividend dates. Whether this applies to DE30 is part of the instrument's terms. Check the specification in the platform or the Exness Help Center.
What moves the DAX
The DAX is dominated by large international companies in autos, industry, chemicals, software, insurance and finance. Much of their revenue comes from outside Germany.
Exports and global demand. Germany is a large exporter. News about world trade, tariffs, industrial orders and demand from China and the US can affect DAX companies quickly.
The euro-area economy. Germany is the largest economy in the euro area. Data such as PMI surveys, the Ifo business climate index, inflation and GDP for Germany and the euro area are watched closely.
The European Central Bank (ECB). ECB rate decisions and statements affect borrowing costs, bank profits and company valuations across Europe.
The euro exchange rate. A weaker euro can help exporters because their goods become cheaper abroad. A stronger euro can do the opposite. The link is not fixed and changes over time.
Energy prices. German industry is a heavy energy user, so gas and oil prices can matter. See Energies.
US markets. The DAX often reacts to moves in US indices and US data. See US500 (S&P 500) and USTEC.
For calendar-based work, the Exness economic calendar is available on the website and in the Exness Trade app. More on this approach is in Fundamental analysis.
DE30 trading on Exness: what is confirmed
Exness offers over 200 CFD instruments. Indices are among the instrument groups on the Standard account: forex, metals, cryptocurrencies, energies, stocks, indices.
What Exness's own pages state about indices:
| Item | What Exness says |
|---|---|
| Leverage on indices | Fixed for most indices except JP225, USTEC, USTEC_x100, US500, US500_x100, US30, US30_x10 |
| Trading hours | Differ by underlying instrument; servers run on UTC+0 |
| Negative balance | Balance reset to 0 after stop out |
| Swap-free countries | Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Chad, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan |
DE30 is not in the list of exceptions, so its leverage is fixed rather than dynamic. The exact leverage, contract size, minimum volume, pip size, spread, swap and trading session for DE30 are not covered in our sources. Check the specification in the platform. In MetaTrader, right-click DE30 in Market Watch and open the specification. You can also check the current conditions in your Exness personal area or on the official site.
The trading hours follow the German cash market and related sessions, not Pakistan time. Exness servers run on UTC+0, so convert the times before you plan anything.
Use the tools below with the contract size and leverage from the specification:
Fill in the empty fields to see the result.
Fill in the empty fields to see the result.
The pip tool shows the value of a pip for your lot size in the quote currency and your account currency. DAX CFDs are usually priced in euros, so a USD or PKR account involves a currency conversion. The margin tool shows how much margin a position needs at a given leverage.
Ready to try it on a real or demo account?
Partner link · trading carries a high risk of loss
Risk on a leveraged index
DE30 can move sharply around ECB decisions, German data and the US open. Leverage means a small price move can cause a large loss relative to your deposit. Leveraged CFD trading can lose money fast, and many traders lose money.
Margin call and stop-out levels by account are: Standard Cent: margin call 60%, stop out 0%; Standard: margin call 60%, stop out 0%; Pro: margin call 30%, stop out 0%; Raw Spread: margin call 30%, stop out 0%; Zero: margin call 30%, stop out 0%. Exness also notes: 0% stop out not supported in some countries; may vary. Read Risk management before you trade, and practise on a demo account first.
Legal position in Pakistan
Readers in Pakistan should know the regulators' position. On remittances, per the SBP, remitting foreign exchange to overseas forex/margin/CFD platforms is not allowed through any payment channel (FERA s.5(1)), and on residents' purchases, per the SBP, the purchase of offshore forex/margin/CFD products by Pakistani residents violates section 4(1) of FERA 1947. On protection, per the SECP, offshore platforms have no Pakistani licence or oversight and offer no legal protection or recourse. Details are on our Law and regulators page.
Frequent questions
Is DE30 the same as the “DAX 40”?
Yes. DE30 is the CFD symbol and it follows the “DAX 40”. The symbol keeps the old name from the “DAX 30” period.
Why doesn't the DAX drop on dividend days?
The DAX is a total-return index. It treats dividends as reinvested, so the index is not reduced by dividend payments the way a price index is.
What leverage does Exness give on DE30?
Exness says fixed for most indices except JP225, USTEC, USTEC_x100, US500, US500_x100, US30, US30_x10. DE30 is not an exception, so its leverage is fixed. Check the exact figure in the platform specification.
When can I trade DE30?
Exness says differ by underlying instrument; servers run on UTC+0. Check the DE30 session in the platform and convert it to Pakistan time.
Are there swaps on DE30?
Exness lists Pakistan among countries where clients get swap-free status automatically: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Chad, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan. Swap-free status can change based on trading activity, so check your account. See Swap fees and Islamic finance.
Which other European indices are similar?
See the French CAC index, the Euro Stoxx blue-chip index and UK100 (FTSE).
