FRANKFURT – Optimism rose among German businesses in February, according to a closely watched survey - despite a worrisome flattening out in the decline of infections.
The index of business sentiment compiled by the Ifo institute showed that industry continues to hold up better than public-facing services during the pandemic, even as battered tourism businesses expressed cautious optimism about the upcoming vacation season.
The survey index for Europe’s largest economy climbed to 92.4 points after a reading of 90.3 points in January, the institute said in a news release Monday.
The results show brightening outlooks among thousands of German businesses, particularly in manufacturing and industry, where the index rose in all important