German factory orders fall in sign economy still prone to risks

Frankfurt

GERMAN factory orders unexpectedly fell for a second month in February in a sign that Europe's largest economy is still prone to risks.

Orders, adjusted for seasonal swings and inflation, fell 0.9 per cent after a revised decline of 2.6 per cent in January, data from the Economy Ministry in Berlin showed on Wednesday. The typically volatile number compares with a median estimate of a 1.5 per cent increase in a Bloomberg survey. Orders slid 1.3 per cent from a year earlier.