BERLIN, Aug 25 (Reuters): German business sentiment dropped for a fourth straight month in August as concerns about the Ukraine crisis and the impact of sanctions against Russia swept through corporate boardrooms in Europe's largest economy.
The Munich-based Ifo think-tank's business climate index, based on a monthly survey of some 7,000 companies, fell to 106.3 from 108, undershooting the Reuters consensus forecast of 107.
That was its lowest level since last July and marked the longest period of successive monthly declines in the index since the height of the eurozone crisis in 2012.
The reading raised doubts about the strength of the economy after a surprise second-quarter contraction, sending the euro to a day's low against the dollar and lifting German Bund futures to a day high. "The crisis in Ukraine, but also the disappointing recovery in the eurozone, are weighing on confidence and thus investment," Berenberg Bank senior economist Christian Schulz said.
Ukraine crisis sours German business morale in Aug
FE Team | Published: August 26, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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