As the European morning soon turns to the afternoon and the rejoining of US players to the markets, the earlier record seen in the DAX has given way now to a further drop back below where the index closed on Thursday (18,492). In fact, the DAX is now falling below 18,450 after rising to set a new record earlier at 18,567. The US futures are a little further in the red right now too and those losses are still being led in percentage terms by the Dow Jones, as it now suggests a reopening close to 39,400. The escalation in Mid East tensions is also adding an element of risk to the markets just now s well. The DAX is currently trading at 18,445