German Economy Still Puttering

According to the "business barometer" released by the German Institute of Economic Research (DIW) on Tuesday, the country's economy has yet to gain much forward momentum. Orders from abroad, particularly the U.S., have been burdened by the strength of the euro. The result has been, according to the DIW, that "the economy right now looks quite devoid of energy." Despite a partial improvement in some sectors of the economy, the institute reported that overall growth for the first quarter of this year was only at a modest 0.2 percent. There were, however, a few bright spots. The service sector is enjoying a positive mood swing, according to the German Chamber of Commerce (DIHK). Even the long-suffering retail sector has demonstrated a slight stabilization after a fall off in sales in January.