Summary Economic activity in the eurozone as a whole rose 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter.
NEW YORK (AFP) - US stocks followed European equity markets higher early Friday following a surprisingly strong report on German economic growth.
About 35 minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 18,004.91, up 32.53 points (0.18 percent).
The broad-based S&P 500 added 3.26 (0.16 percent) at 2,091.74, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 10.20 (0.21 percent) to 4,867.81.
In the period from October to December, gross domestic product in Europe s biggest economy expanded by 0.7 percent, bringing full-year growth to 1.6 percent, the German federal statistics office said.
The strong data helped push the German DAX index above 11,000 for the first time and lifted other European indices.
Economic activity in the eurozone as a whole rose 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter, the official Eurostat agency said.
ConAgra Foods fell 4.4 percent as the food manufacturer slashed its profit forecast, citing a number of factors, including the higher dollar and a longshoreman dispute on the US West Coast that has depressed exports.
Separately, ConAgra named Sean Connolly as chief executive. Connolly led Hillshire Brands before it was acquired by Tyson Foods in 2014.
Kraft Foods fell 3.3 percent after reporting a fourth-quarter loss of $398 million due in part to rising commodity costs. The company also announced a number of executive changes, including the impending resignation of Teri List-Stoll as chief financial officer.
King Digital Entertainment surged 15.0 percent after announcing a special dividend of 94 cents per share as it reported continued user growth spurred by its latest launch of the Candy Crush franchise and other games.
Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury rose to 2.00 percent from 1.98 percent Thursday, while the 30-year advanced to 2.59 percent from 2.57 percent. Bond prices and yields move inversely.
