German industrial output stagnates through January

Analysts had originally predicted a rise of 0.4% Frankfurt – Arabstoday German industrial output stagnated in January, as higher construction output offset falling activity in the manufacturing and energy sectors, official data showed on Friday. Industrial production was unchanged in January compared with December, the Ministry said in a statement, disappointing analysts' expectations for a rise of around 0.4 percent.
The previous month, output had expanded by 0.6 percent month-on-month, AFP has reported.
While energy output declined by 2.3 percent and manufacturing output edged down by 0.2 percent, construction output grew by 3.0 percent, the Ministry calculated.
Taking the two months of December and January combined, to iron out short-term fluctuations, overall output edged 0.3 percent higher, driven primarily by rising manufacturing output, the Ministry said.
On Thursday, the Ministry had already published disappointing industrial orders data, which showed a 1.9-percent drop in factory orders in January, weighed down by shrinking exports.