German shares were mixed in early trading Thursday on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, with blue chips holding steady but secondary and tech stocks dropping. Early in the new session, the benchmark DAX was largely unchanged at 4353 points. The main exception was automotive concern DaimlerChrysler, whose shares dropped 1.6 per cent to 35.54 euros after its 2004 business figures report disappointed investors. The MDAX list of 70 mid-caps meanwhile fell 0.21 per cent to 5736 points and the technology index TecDAX lost 0.41 per cent to 534 points in the early trading. Among the few DAX gains, energy group E.ON rose 0.68 per cent to 70.05 euros amid reports that the company has decided to sell the real estate unit Viterra. An E.ON spokesman declined to comment on the reports. The euro was slightly firmer in early trading on European markets, with exchanges quoting a rate of 1.2814 dollars, or 78.00 euro-cents per dollar. The figure was slightly up on the 1.2762 dollars reference pegging on Wednesday by the European Central Bank. Traders said business was largely quiet with many Asian markets closed for the Chinese New Year festivities and with European exchanges in a holding pattern as they awaited the release later on of the latest U.S. monthly trade figures.
