Survey shows dip in German investor confidence amid mixed economic signals

September 30th, 2009 Commodities little moved amid mixed economic dataNEW YORK — Investors are holding back on making any big bets on commodities amid mixed signals on the economy. Prices for gold and other commodities are little changed after a private group reported a surprising drop in consumer confidence.

August 18th, 2009 German investor confidence up sharply in AugustFRANKFURT — Investor confidence in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, rose sharply in August as hopes grew that the economy will recover faster than previously expected, a closely-watched survey showed Tuesday. The ZEW Center for Economic Research in Mannheim said its monthly index, which measures investors' outlook for the next six months, rose to 56.1 points in August from 39.5 points in July — well above the historical average of 26.5 points.

August 15th, 2009 NEW YORK - US stocks closed lower Friday, pushing the major indices into negative territory for the week amid mixed signals on the prospects for the country's struggling economy. A surprising fall in a consumer confidence survey by the University of Michigan and Reuters dragged on investors' minds.

July 28th, 2009 Oil rises to near $69, extending 3-week rallySINGAPORE — Oil prices hovered near $68 a barrel Tuesday in Asia as a three-week rally stalled amid mixed economic and corporate news. Benchmark crude for September delivery was up 3 cents at $68.41 a barrel by late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

July 28th, 2009 Oil hovers near $68 as 3-week rally stalsSINGAPORE — Oil prices hovered near $68 a barrel Tuesday in Asia as a three-week rally stalled amid mixed economic and corporate news. Benchmark crude for September delivery was up 3 cents at $68.41 a barrel by late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

July 27th, 2009 German consumer confidence risesBERLIN — German consumer confidence continues to rise despite the recession, helped chiefly by lower prices and a stable job market, a survey showed Monday. The GfK research group said its forward-looking consumer climate index for August rose to 3.5 points, up from a revised 3 points for July as more people reported expectations of an economic recovery.

July 27th, 2009 Global consumer confidence improves in Q2LONDON — Consumer confidence around the world improved in the second quarter, according to a survey by researchers Nielsen, suggesting that the public is embracing the idea of a global economic recovery. The Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index rose to 82 in June, an increase of 5 points from March, spurred by renewed consumer optimism and stock market gains in emerging markets and key Asian countries.

July 14th, 2009 German investor confidence slipsBERLIN — Investor confidence in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, slipped in July after an eight-month rise as worries over bank lending clouded optimism over improving industrial data, a closely watched survey showed Tuesday. The ZEW institute said its monthly index, which measures investors' outlook for the next six months, slipped to 39.5 points this month from 44.8 in June.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Indicating that an industrial recovery is underway, India's Economic Survey for 2008-09 said Thursday that the industry has weathered the most severe part of the shock. The survey, tabled by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in parliament on Thursday, the first day of the budget session, said the rise in offtake of bank credit and upturn in the power generation capacity were positive pointers towards an economic recovery.

June 25th, 2009 Oil hovers above $69 amid mixed crude demand signsSINGAPORE — Oil prices hovered just above $69 a barrel Thursday in Asia amid mixed signals about crude demand from a weekly U.S. inventory report.

June 23rd, 2009 German consumer confidence risingBERLIN — German consumer confidence is rising, helped by an increase in income expectations and a stable job market amid the recession, a survey showed Tuesday. But despite the improvements, research groups continued to slash their growth forecasts, suggesting the downturn is far from over.

June 22nd, 2009 German businesses expect improvement, survey showsBERLIN — Business confidence in Germany, Europe's largest economy, dropped to a new all-time low in June but expectations for the future continued to improve, a closely watched survey showed Monday. The Munich-based Ifo institute's business climate index — an average of its current situation and future expectations numbers — improved overall to 85.9 points from 84.3 the month before, the third consecutive increase since March when the indicator hit a 26-year low of 82.2 points.

June 16th, 2009 Survey: Economic sentiment improves in GermanyBERLIN — Economic confidence in Germany, Europe's largest economy, improved for an eighth straight month in June, with a recovery from recession expected to come around the end of the year, a closely watched survey showed Tuesday. The Mannheim-based Center for European Economic Research, known by its German initials ZEW, said its economic sentiment indicator rose by 13.7 points in June, to 44.8 points from 31.1 the previous month.

April 27th, 2009 German consumer confidence stableBERLIN — German consumer confidence remains steady, though lackluster, as low inflation and energy prices combine with tentative hopes that an economic turnaround may be in sight, according to a survey released Monday. The GfK research group said its forward-looking consumer climate index for May stands at 2.5 points — unchanged from April and March.

April 22nd, 2009 German economy minister against new stimulusBERLIN — Germany's economy minister said Wednesday there is wide agreement that the country needs no new stimulus package now, even as forecasts for this year's economic outlook darken. The German government has put together two stimulus packages worth some euro80 billion ($104 billion), featuring programs such as infrastructure spending and a popular car-scrapping bonus.