German shares extended gains from the previous session on Friday as optimism about economic growth and corporate earnings helped investors shrug off concerns about a potential U.S. government shutdown.
The benchmark DAX was up 60 points or 0.46 percent at 13,342 in opening deals after climbing 0.7 percent the previous day.
Chemicals giant BASF rallied 1.5 percent after its preliminary sales for 2017 rose by 12 percent.
Software AG shares jumped 2.5 percent. The tech firm said that the U.S. Federal Tax reforms will have a positive impact on the future business results of the group.
Steelmaker Thyssenkrupp gained 1.2 percent as its annual general meeting gets underway later today.
Consumer electronics retailer Ceconomy plunged nearly 12 percent. The company's operating profit fell 16 percent in the first quarter, reflecting price reductions around Black Friday.
On a light day on the economic front, figures from Destatis showed that German producer prices climbed 2.3 percent year-on-year in December, slower than the 2.5 percent increase registered in November. A similar weaker rate was last seen in July.
by RTT Staff Writer
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