German Factory Orders Rise in Positive Sign for Manufacturing

  • February orders jump 4.8%; economists’ estimate was +0.3%
  • Services companies have been faring better in recent months

Germany, where manufacturing plays an outsized role in the economy, is at risk of a shallow recession.

Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
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German factory orders rose for a third month in a promising sign for the manufacturing sector, which has been faring less favorably than services in Europe’s largest economy.

Demand rose 4.8% in February from the previous month — the biggest increase since June 2021 and better than the 0.3% median estimate in a Bloomberg poll of economists. It was driven by large-scale orders for vehicles, the statistics office said in a statement. Domestic demand also increased significantly.