German blue-chips posted solid gains in trading Friday on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, while the euro edged higher on currency markets. The 30-share DAX moved up 0.18 per cent to reach its highest reading yet this year, at 4453 points before settling to 4444 at the close. The DAX closed at a year-high 4442.94 points on Thursday. The MDAX list of 70 mid-caps rose 0.40 per cent to 5931 points, while technology shares in the TecDAX gained 0.24 per cent to 528 points. The European Central Bank posted the euro at 1.2551 dollars Friday, up a fraction from the 1.2523 dollars reference pegging on Thursday. The dollar correspondingly fell to 79.67 (79.85) euro-cents. The euro was little changed in the ECB's other main peggings on Friday, at 68.71 (68.74) British pence, 135.27 (135.58) yen and 1.5479 (1.5472) Swiss francs. Currency traders predicted the euro would come under pressure next week if the French vote against the European Union constitution in their referendum on Sunday. --SP 2211 Local Time 1911 GMT
