German Factory Orders Fall as Euro Crisis Curbs Demand: Economy

German factory orders unexpectedly fell in January as the sovereign debt crisis curbed demand in the euro area.

Orders, adjusted for seasonal swings and inflation, declined 1.9 percent from December, when they rose a revised 1.1 percent, the Economy Ministry in Berlin said today. Economists forecast a 0.6 percent gain, according to the median of 41 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. In the year, workday-adjusted orders dropped 2.5 percent.