FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Trading remained pre-Christmas quiet on the second and, at the same time, last trading day of the week at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The Dax, the benchmark index for German equities, ended Tuesday up 0.23% at 24,340.06 points. Price movements among individual stocks were also limited.

As at the start of the week, the few investors still active exercised restraint. "With the finish line to the holidays in sight, the trading floors of institutional heavyweights are already largely deserted due to the Christmas break," wrote Frank Sohlleder, analyst at broker Activtrades. Institutional investors have closed their books. As on Monday, trading volumes remained low.

Fresh U.S. economic data, which delivered mixed results overall, had little impact on prices. The U.S. economy—measured by gross domestic product—grew by 4.3% in the third quarter, stronger than expected. Additionally, industrial output in November was higher than forecast. On the other hand, orders for durable goods in October fell more sharply than predicted.

The MDax of mid-cap stocks slipped by 0.44% to 30,302.78 points. The EuroStoxx 50 closed moderately higher.

Outside the eurozone, Switzerland's leading SMI index reached a record high. The British FTSE 100 ended slightly firmer. In the U.S., both the Nasdaq and Wall Street closed marginally in positive territory.

Shares of German carmakers posted modest losses in response to European sales figures. Volkswagen preference shares, for example, fell by 0.4%. The car market in the European Union saw 2.1% more new registrations in November compared to a year earlier. However, total sales remain well below pre-pandemic levels.

Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has received approval to sell its weight-loss drug Wegovy in the U.S. as a tablet starting in January, rather than only as an injection. According to one trader, this casts a negative light on pharmaceutical packaging manufacturer Gerresheimer, which produces the syringes for Novo Nordisk, among others. Gerresheimer shares fell by 2.7%, while rival Schott Pharma lost 0.4%.

Specialty chemicals group Alzchem has extended contracts with key board members ahead of schedule. Its shares gained 1.7%./bek/he

--- By Benjamin Krieger, dpa-AFX ---