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☆ Germany’s housebuilding sector is in a 'confidence crisis' as the economy struggles
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Patrick Pleul | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesGermany's housebuilding sector has gone from bad to worse in recent months. "The housebuilding sector is, I would say, a little bit in a confidence crisis," Dominik von Achten, chairman of German building materials company Heidelberg Materials, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Thursday. In January both the current sentiment and expectations for the German residential construction sector fell to all-time lows, according to data from the Ifo Institute for Economic Research. The business climate reading fell to a negative 59 points, while expectations dropped to negative 68.9 points in the month. Habeck pointed to higher interest rates as a key challenge for the economy, explaining that those had led to reduced investments, especially in the construction sector.

Persons: Patrick Pleul, Dominik von Achten, CNBC's, Klaus Wohlrabe, Robert Habeck, Wohlrabe, It's, Achten Organizations: Getty, Heidelberg Materials, Ifo Institute for Economic Research, Hamburg Commercial Bank, PMI, Climate Locations: Germany, Ifo, Heidelberg

☆ German export sentiment improves in November - Ifo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A cargo ship is seen on river Main in front of the skyline during a summer evening in Frankfurt, Germany, August 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 27 (Reuters) - Sentiment among German exporters improved in November, although only a few sectors expected exports to increase, according to a survey by the Ifo economic institute released on Monday. The institute's export expectations indicator rose to minus 3.8 points in November from minus 6.3 points in October. "However, the export economy still isn't managing to develop any momentum," Klaus Wohlrabe, head of surveys at Ifo, said. "German companies have yet to benefit much from the economic upswing in many countries," he added.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Klaus Wohlrabe, Amir Orusov, Rachel More Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Ifo

☆ German housebuilding is collapsing — and could drag the economy down with it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Fast forward two years, and German housebuilding looks like it's collapsing, putting pressure on both his hard-to-reach goal, but also the overall economy of the country. Over 22% of companies surveyed reported the cancellation of residential construction projects in Germany in October, a new record high. Expectations for the residential construction industry fell to what the Ifo described as an "exceptional low." "Things continue to go from bad to worse in Germany's construction sector. But it's also the jobs market that could be impacted by troubles in the homebuilding sector, Brzeski noted.

Persons: Soeren, Germany's Olaf Scholz, —, Cyrus de la Rubia, Carsten Brzeski, Brzeski, Klaus Wohlrabe, Wohlrabe, it's Organizations: Getty, Ifo Institute for Economic Research, Hamburg Commercial Bank, German Federal, Office, ING, CNBC, European Central Bank, ECB, European Commission Locations: downtown Wittenberg, Germany, Hamburg

☆ Wave of cancellations in German housing construction at new high -Ifo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Germany's residential construction sector was again hit by a wave of cancellations in October, according to a survey published on Monday that showed a record number of firms reporting abandoned projects. "It's getting worse all the time, with more and more projects failing due to higher interest rates and elevated construction prices," says Klaus Wohlrabe, Ifo head of surveys. "In residential construction, new business remains very low and companies' order backlogs are diminishing." The number of companies reporting a lack of orders also increased in October, to 48.7% of firms from 46.6% in September. "Nearly half of all residential construction companies are now suffering from a lack of orders, and that number is growing every month," said Wohlrabe.

Persons: Klaus Wohlrabe, Miranda Murray, Rachel More Organizations: Thomson

☆ German export sentiment drops to three-year low - Ifo
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

In its fifth consecutive month of decline, the institute's export expectations indicator fell to minus 11.3 points in September, from minus 6.5 points in August. "Germany's export economy is going through a weak phase," Klaus Wohlrabe, head of surveys at Ifo, said. "It's likely that export demand won't pick up again significantly until next year," he added. Wohlrabe said higher interest rates were dampening demand for German goods. Last month's hopes for growth in the German chemical industry did not materialize in September, according to the survey.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Klaus Wohlrabe, Wohlrabe, Amir Orusov, Rene Wagner, Rachel More Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Bremerhaven, Germany, Ifo

The Ifo institute said on Friday that its business climate index stood at 85.7, down from 87.4 in July. Reuters Graphics"The German economy is not out of the woods yet," Ifo president Clemens Fuest said. The economy then posted zero growth in the second quarter compared to the previous three months, separate data from the statistics office showed on Friday. The Ifo survey showed sentiment among German managers had become more pessimistic across all sectors in August. The Ifo survey chimed with flash PMI data released on Wednesday, which showed that German business activity contracted at the fastest pace for more than three years in August.

Persons: Annegret, Clemens Fuest, Christian Lindner, Klaus Wohlrabe, Claus Niegsch, Niegsch, Andrew Kenningham, Carsten Brzeski, Maria Martinez, Friederike Heine, Mark Potter, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, . Finance, DZ Bank, Reuters Graphics, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, BERLIN, Europe

☆ German business sentiment is 'going down and down,' Ifo says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGerman business sentiment is 'going down and down,' Ifo saysKlaus Wohlrabe, head of surveys at Ifo, says there's "a lot of bad news" when it comes to incoming orders in the manufacturing and services sectors.

Persons: Ifo, Klaus Wohlrabe

☆ Why some are calling the German economy 'the sick man of Europe'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —It’s been nearly two decades since Germany shrugged off its “sick man of Europe” label with a series of labor market reforms that ushered in years of economic outperformance. Sticky inflation and three straight quarters of falling or stagnating output have put Europe’s biggest economy in the doldrums. “Sticky” inflation is eroding Germans’ purchasing power, fueling “pessimism among households,” according to Thomas Obst, senior economist at the Cologne Institute for Economic Research. “[German] industrial order books have emptied over the last 12 months,” Carsten Brzeski, global head of macroeconomic research at ING, told CNN. “Germany is in a very singular position.”Bright spotsHolger Schmieding, the economist who first called Germany the “sick man of Europe” in 1998, thinks the “current wave of pessimism” over its economy is overdone.

Persons: London CNN — It’s, Stefan Kooths, Europe ”, Kooths, Thomas Obst, Obst, ”, Klaus Wohlrabe, Frank Soellner, ” Carsten Brzeski, Sam Reeves, Brzeski, David Hecker, Holger Schmieding, Schmieding, “ Organizations: London CNN, International Monetary Fund, Kiehl Institute, Cologne Institute, Economic Research, CNN, European Central Bank, ifo, Volkswagen, Siemens, Global, ING, Getty, China Locations: Germany, Europe, Berlin, ifo, Bad, China, Duisburg, AFP, Ukraine, Australia, France

☆ Drop in German business morale points to longer recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary Business climate index fell to 88.5 in June from 91.5 in MayBoth business expectations and current business conditions fellProbability of longer recession risesBERLIN, June 26 (Reuters) - German business morale worsened for the second consecutive month in June, a survey showed on Monday, indicating that Europe's largest economy faces an uphill battle to shake off recession. "Sentiment in the German economy has clouded over noticeably," Ifo's president Clemens Fuest said. Indeed, expectations were much more pessimistic, with the related Ifo index falling to 83.6 from May's 88.3. "The probability has increased that gross domestic product will also shrink in the second quarter," he said. "We feel confirmed in our forecast that the German economy will shrink again in the second half of the year," Commerzbank's chief economist Joerg Kraemer said.

Persons: Clemens Fuest, Carsten Brzeski, Brzeski, Klaus Wohlrabe, Urban, Franziska Palmas, Joerg Kraemer, Maria Martinez, Rene Wagner, Friederike Heine, Matthias Williams, Hugh Lawson Organizations: ING, Companies, Reuters, Oxford Economics, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, U.S, Germany, German, Europe

☆ German exports rise unexpectedly in April on China reopening
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, June 5 (Reuters) - German exports rose unexpectedly in April, boosted by deliveries to China following its post-pandemic reopening, but analysts warned that the momentum could be short-lived. German exports increased by 1.2% on the previous month, the federal statistics office said. Exports to China were up 10.1%, while exports to the U.S. were up 4.7% and exports to the European Union rose 4.5%, the office said. The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 18.4 billion euros ($19.68 billion) in April, up from 14.9 billion euros the previous month. "The temporary push in exports to China will fade with time," ING's global head of macro at ING Carsten Brzeski told Reuters.

Persons: Alexander Krueger, Hauck Aufhaeuser, Claus Vistesen, ING Carsten Brzeski, Holger Schmieding, Klaus Wohlrabe, Rachel More, Maria Martinez, Kirsti Knolle, Gareth Jones Organizations: Reuters, European Union, Macroeconomics, ING, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, China, Hauck Aufhaeuser Lampe, U.S, Ifo

☆ German exports rise significantly more than expected in February
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, April 4 (Reuters) - German exports rose significantly more than expected in February due to strong demand from the United States and China, posting their biggest increase in 10 months, data showed on Tuesday. Exports increased by 4.0% on the previous month, the federal statistics office said. A Reuters poll had predicted a month-on-month rise in exports of 1.6%. In February, exports to European Union countries rose 2.0% on the previous month, while exports to the U.S. and China increased by 9.4% and 10.2% respectively compared with January. Despite the increase, export demand still lacks momentum, Klaus Wohlrabe, head of surveys at Ifo, said.

☆ German business morale brightens further in January - Ifo
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File PhotoBERLIN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - German business morale brightened in January as Europe's largest economy started the new year with easing inflation and an improved outlook, a survey said on Wednesday. The Ifo institute said its business climate index rose to 90.2, in line with consensus according to a Reuters poll of analysts and up from a reading of 88.6 in December. "The German economy is starting the new year with more confidence," Ifo's president Clemens Fuest said. The increase is driven by considerably less pessimistic expectations, while companies were, however, somewhat less satisfied with their current situation, Ifo said. "The Ifo business climate has recovered significantly for the third time in a row as the easing on the gas market further diminished companies' fears of a severe recession," Commerzbank's chief economist Joerg Kraemer said.

The downside is that will increase carbon emissions and for the longer term, the firm is considering a switch to hydrogen, which is a much cleaner energy source provided it is produced using renewable power. "We want to be one of the first large companies in Bavaria to switch to hydrogen," Craig Barker, managing director of the 87-year-old firm, told Reuters. It also announced an action plan to support small and medium-sized companies as they switch to climate-neutral production, including expanding hydrogen infrastructure. More is required to accelerate investments in hydrogen, including a Hydrogen Act to cut bureaucracy and regulate the hydrogen ramp-up quickly, utility industry association BDEW said earlier this month. "2023 must provide new impetus for investments in renewable energies, hydrogen, hydrogen-capable gas-fired power plants and energy networks," BDEW president Kerstin Andreae said.

☆ Material shortages ease in German industry but carmakers struggling
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Material supply problems in German industry have fallen to their lowest level in over a year and a half, according to a survey released on Wednesday, although many orders still cannot be processed with well over half of companies reporting issues. In November, 59.3% of companies surveyed reported material shortages, the Ifo economic institute said, the lowest level since April 2021. In the automotive industry, the share of companies facing shortages in fact rose from 74.9% to 83.2%, the survey showed. The situation eased for manufacturers of machinery and equipment but 78.7% of those companies still faced problems. Manufacturers of basic metals saw fewest supply problems in November at 16.1%.

☆ German companies increasingly struggling to access credit - Ifo
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Around one in four German companies currently seeking new loans are reporting restraint from lenders as high inflation and concerns over energy supply rattle Europe's largest economy, according to a survey published on Monday. The figure - 24.3% - is the highest seen since 2017, said the Ifo institute, which conducted the survey. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Without new loans, some companies might struggle for economic survival," he added. As many as 28.8% of companies seeking credit in the services sector reported difficulties, around 8.4% of chemical companies and 22.5% automakers, Ifo said. The smallest businesses and the solo self-employed were most affected due to their dependency on bank loans, according to the institute.

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