German Business Confidence Unexpectedly Weakened in January
- Ifo business climate index falls to 109.8 vs estimated 111.3
- Gauge for current situation improves, expectations fell
This article is for subscribers only.
German business sentiment unexpectedly slipped in January from its highest level in almost three years in a sign that momentum in Europe’s largest economy may have weakened at the start of the year.
The Munich-based Ifo institute’s business climate index dropped to 109.8 from 111 in December. That compares with a median estimate of 111.3 in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Confidence in France, one of Germany’s biggest trading partners, also missed forecasts, with a gauge published by the national statistics office down 1 point to 104.