On Thursday, Germany's benchmark index closed up 0.3 percent at 25,352.39 points. After a cautious start to trading, European stock exchanges followed Wall Street into positive territory, with rising prices in the technology and financial sectors fueling buying sentiment.
On Friday, investors are awaiting the final German inflation data for December. Price pressures in Germany are believed to have eased significantly before the turn of the year. According to preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office, the annual inflation rate dropped to 1.8 percent in December. In November, inflation had stood at 2.3 percent. Additionally, US industrial production data for the previous month will be released in the afternoon.
On the corporate side, attention will be on the sales figures for carmaker Porsche and truck manufacturer Daimler Truck for the past year. Furthermore, in the multi-billion dollar legal dispute over alleged cancer risks from the weedkiller glyphosate, a pivotal decision is expected for Bayer. The US Supreme Court is likely to announce on Friday whether it will accept the appeal request from the Leverkusen-based agrochemical and pharmaceutical group in a key case.
Klöckner is also likely to make headlines. US company Worthington Steel plans to acquire the German steel and metal processor. The two companies have reached an agreement, Klöckner announced.
Closing prices of European Level
stock indices and
futures on Thursday
Dax 25,352.39
EuroStoxx50 6,041.14
EuroStoxx50-Future 6,066.00
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Closing prices of Level Change in
US indices on Thursday percent
Dow Jones 49,442.44 +0.6%
Nasdaq
S&P 500 6,944.47 +0.3%
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Asian indices as of Prices at 07:00 Change in
Friday CET percent
Nikkei 54,057.59 -0.1%
Shanghai 4,104.43 -0.2%
Hang Seng 26,807.75 -0.4%
(Reporting by Sanne Schimanski, Daniela Pegna, edited by Ralf Banser. For questions, please contact our newsroom at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economy) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)
