German industrial output edges higher in December

FRANKFURT: German industrial output rose modestly in December, primarily on increased activity in the manufacturing sector, while output fell in the energy and construction sectors, official data showed Thursday.

Industrial production rose by 0.3 percent in December from November, making up for a 0.2-percent contraction the previous month, the economy ministry said in a statement.

While energy output declined by 3.4 percent and construction output was down by as much as 8.9 percent, manufacturing output rose by 1.2 percent, driven by a 4.2-percent increase in production of consumer goods, the ministry calculated.

"As expected, industrial output was weak in the final quarter of last year, even if it showed signs of stabilisation," the ministry wrote.

"However, an upturn in industrial orders, combined with sharp improvements in confidence indicators, suggest the current period of weakness will come to an end in the foreseeable future," it said.

On Thursday, the ministry had calculated that industrial orders increased by 0.8 percent month-on-month in December, propelled by overseas demand for German-made goods.