Friday 24 November 2006

Business confidence up in Germany, down elsewhere in Europe

Bloomberg reports that Germany's economy is slowing.

Gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services, rose 0.6 percent from the second quarter, when it increased 1.1 percent, the Federal Statistics Office in Wiesbaden said today, confirming a previous estimate from Nov. 14.

However, German business confidence remains high, according to another Bloomberg report.

The Ifo institute's sentiment index, based on responses from 7,000 executives, climbed to 106.8 from 105.3 in October, touching a level last reached in June. The gain exceeded all 41 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey, which showed economists expected a decline to 105.2. Bonds fell and the euro advanced...

The Ifo index's expectations component, gauging executives' assessment of business conditions in six months, rose for a second month, to 100.1 from 99.2. A separate index of current conditions advanced to 113.9, the highest since February 1991, from 111.9.

On the other hand, the Isae Institute's Italian business confidence index fell to 96.8 in November from 97.1 in October while the National Bank of Belgium's business confidence index fell to 3.5 in November from 3.8 in October.

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