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German firms remain upbeat
GERMAN business confidence rose again in February according to the IFO business index published yesterday, and the official Italian statistics agency reported consumers became slightly less pessimistic in the month.
The IFO index rose from 108.3 in January to 109.6, while the expectations index increased from 100.9 to 102.3, pointing to modest economic growth.
Italian consumer confidence came off January’s 16-year low, rising from 91.8 to 94.2.
“The general outlook for the Italian economy improved significantly,” statistics body ISTAT said.