Stock market: Dax starts slightly higher, Bitcoin exceeds $112,000 for the first time

The German stock market opened quietly on Friday, gaining slightly. The DAX rose 0.2 percent to 24,052 points in early trading. This suggests a weekly gain of just over one percent for the leading index. The MDAX rose 0.2 percent to 30,108 points on Friday morning. The Eurozone's leading index, the EuroStoxx 50, also rose 0.2 percent.

German gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.4 percent from January to March compared to the previous quarter , according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Exports, investments, and private consumption proved to be the growth drivers. An earlier estimate had indicated only 0.2 percent. "The unexpectedly strong growth is a welcome surprise," commented Thomas Gitzel, Chief Economist at VP Bank. "However, due to the tariff disputes and anticipatory effects, this is a one-off effect."

Among the individual stocks, Bayer 's share price was among the highlights, rising 2.5 percent. The pharmaceutical company received a recommendation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to extend the treatment intervals for its eye medication Eylea. This gives Bayer an advantage in competition with the drug Vabysmo from Swiss competitor Roche.

PVA Tepla also saw an uptrend. The plant manufacturer's shares climbed 11.4 percent to €17.86 following an upgrade. Deutsche Bank experts had rated the company a "buy" after previously holding it. The price target was raised to €26.00 from €14.50.

From a corporate perspective, news should be quiet on Friday. Continental shares might be worth a look. Research firm Jefferies downgraded the automotive supplier and tire manufacturer's stock from "Buy" to "Hold." Expert Michael Aspinall cited the recent significant price increase as the reason for this.

The shares of Amadeus Fire , Brenntag , Deutsche Bank , FMC , Lanxess , Salzgitter and W&W are trading at a dividend discount this Friday.

US PresidentDonald Trump 's (78) tax cut plans have cleared a major hurdle in Congress: Republicans, with their narrow majority in the House of Representatives, voted in favor of the measure. The bill, which now heads to the Senate, is expected to increase the US national debt by around $3.8 trillion over the next ten years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

The US blue chip index Dow Jones closed little changed at 41,859 points on Thursday. The broad-based S&P 500 closed little changed at 5,842 points, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.3 percent to 18,926.

Bitcoin reached the $112,000 mark for the first time yesterday evening—at least temporarily. The price has since fallen slightly again, recently reaching $110,434.

Asia's stock markets recorded tentative gains at the end of the week on Friday. After a partial victory for the controversial US tax package, investors remained cautious, as concerns about debt persisted. The Japanese stock market strengthened on Friday. In Tokyo, the 225-stock Nikkei index rose 0.8 percent to 37,281 points, and the broader Topix traded 0.8 percent higher at 2,739 points. The Shanghai Stock Exchange remained virtually unchanged at 3,380 points. The index of major companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen rose 0.2 percent to 3,920 points.

Oil prices fell for the fourth consecutive month on the prospect of further production increases by OPEC+ countries.

On the commodity market, Brent crude oil from the North Sea fell by 0.8 percent to $63.93 per barrel (159 liters). US WTI crude oil was down 0.9 percent at $60.66.