German factory orders jump in December

FRANKFURT, Feb 5 (AFP): German industrial orders, a key measure of demand for German-made goods, rose sharply in December, data showed on Thursday, confirming recovery is underway in Europe's biggest economy, analysts said.
After dropping by 2.4 per cent the previous month, industrial orders jumped by 4.2 per cent in December, the economy ministry said in a statement.
There was strong demand both at home and abroad, with domestic orders climbing by 3.4 per cent and export orders up by 4.8 per cent, the ministry calculated.
Orders from the eurozone soared by 5.9 per cent and those from outside the eurozone were up by 4.0 per cent, it said.
By sector, orders for semi-finished goods climbed by 2.8 per cent and those for capital goods jumped by 5.7 per cent, while demand for consumer goods slipped by 0.6 per cent.
Analysts said the surprisingly strong rise in the headline number was a sign that recovery is underway in Europe's economic powerhouse.