German industrial production flat in January
German industrial production short of forecast in January, but December figure revised up
BERLIN (AP) -- Industrial production in Germany was flat in January, falling short of expectations for a small increase — but the previous month's figure was revised higher.
The Economy Ministry said Friday that production was unchanged compared with the previous month. Economists had expected a 0.4 percent increase.
That followed a 0.6 percent rise in December, revised from an initial reading of 0.3 percent.
On Thursday, official data showed an unexpected 1.9 percent decline in industrial orders in January, caused by lower demand for German exports and an unusually small number of big orders.
That was a disappointment after other recent indicators pointed to an upturn in Europe's biggest economy, widely expected to return to growth in the current quarter after shrinking by 0.6 percent in the October-December period.
