News Summary: German economy grew in 1st quarter

GROWTH: Germany's economy grew by a slim 0.1 percent in the January-March quarter compared with a revised decline of 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, its Federal Statistical Office said.

STILL WEAK: The increase was lower than anticipated. The consensus in the market was for a 0.3 percent quarterly rise in Europe's biggest economy.

PERSPECTIVE: Germany is in better shape than almost all the 17 European Union countries that use the euro. Though recent economic indicators have been mixed, the key industrial sector has been robust and unemployment remains relatively low.