Industrial output rises for 2nd straight month in Germany

FRANKFURT, Apr 08 (AFP): German industrial production rose strongly in February for the second straight month, official data showed Monday, offering hope for the beleaguered manufacturing sector in Europe's biggest economy.
Output climbed 2.1 per cent month-on-month, federal statistics agency Destatis said. It follows a revised 1.3 per cent increase in January, which had been the first increase in nearly a year.
Analysts surveyed by financial data firm FactSet had forecast an increase of 0.4 per cent for February.
"There are increasing signs that the economy is gradually bottoming out," the German economy ministry said in a statement.
The output increase was driven by a surge in the construction sector, Destatis said, while there were also improvements in chemicals, pharmaceuticals and auto manufacturing.
In contrast, there were falls in energy production, mechanical engineering and electrical equipment, it said.
High inflation, costly energy and weaker demand from Chinese market have contributed to a slowdown in Germany's manufacturing sector in recent months.