The Dax started the trading day on Friday after the Christmas break with light gains. By around 9:30 am, the leading index was calculated at approximately 19,875 points, 0.1 percent above the Monday’s closing level.
The top of the stock list was occupied by Volkswagen, Bayer, and Brenntag shares. The biggest declines were seen in the shares of Munich Re, Siemens Energy, and Hannover Re. Fresenius Medical Care, which is returning to the Dax, replaced Covestro, as the latter’s free float was too low due to a takeover bid.
The European common currency was slightly stronger on Friday morning: one euro was worth approximately $1.0425, and one US dollar was worth around €0.9592.
Meanwhile, the oil price rose slightly: a barrel of Brent North Sea oil cost around $73.37 by 9 am German time, an increase of 11 cents or 0.2 percent from the previous trading day’s close.