By Ed Frankl
Germany business sentiment improved a little in February, as expectations for the economy recovered somewhat, signaling that some of the weaknesses plaguing the economy could be fading.
The Ifo business-climate index rose to 85.5 in February from 85.2 in January, data from the Ifo Institute showed Friday, matching a consensus forecast of economists polled by The Wall Street Journal.
“The German economy is stabilizing at a low level,” said Clemens Fuest, president of the Ifo Institute.
Ifo’s measure of business expectations also ticked up on month in February, while its index of current conditions of the economy held steady.
However, Germany’s economy still remains fragile. Earlier Friday, official figures showed the German economy shrank 0.3% on quarter in the final three months of 2023.
Write to Ed Frankl at edward.frankl@wsj.com
