German industrial outputs rise in March

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, May 08 (AFP): Industrial production in Germany bounced back in March from a February slip, official data showed Tuesday, soothing fears of sharp slowdown after a year of unexpectedly strong growth.
Output among industrial firms in Europe's powerhouse added 1.0 percent month-on-month, federal statistics authority Destatis said.
Capital goods producers were the biggest contributor to the growth, adding 2.6 percent, while deliveries from consumer goods makers also swelled but producer goods firms fell back slightly.
Overall, "industrial production took a breather in the first quarter after the strong growth over the year 2017," the economy ministry in Berlin commented, with the March results showing that "the upturn remains intact".
The positive signal for output is especially comforting for Germany after figures released Monday showed the third monthly slip in a row in industrial orders.