DAX closes in on 18,452 again as US futures now higher after positive earnings reports

Since the last update here, the US equity futures have just risen and now the Nasdaq 100 is trading above 19,765 in terms of the implied opening. The latest US mortgage applications were lower than expected and that coupled with a better than expected set of earnings data from Maceys has helped to lift all three major indexes. At the same time this had fuelled a further rise in the DAX and CAC indexes and now the DAX is lifting very close to that 18,452 technical level