German factory orders rise as economic boom remains undaunted

Bloomberg

German factory orders expanded for a second month as Europe’s largest economy picked
up speed. Orders, adjusted for seasonal swings
and inflation, rose 1 percent in March, after
expanding an upwardly revised 3.5 percent in
February, data from the Economy Ministry in Berlin showed on Monday.
The typically volatile reading compares with a median estimate for a 0.7 percent gain in a Bloomberg survey. Orders were up 2.4 percent from a year earlier, when adjusted for working days.
The Bundesbank said Germany’s economy probably gathered momentum in the first quarter on the back of strong consumer spending and a brightening outlook for manufacturers. Business confidence is at the highest level in almost six years, and data is forecast to show that growth
accelerated in the three months through March.