German Investor Confidence Falls In November

GEORGE FREY

FRANKFURT (AP) — German investor confidence fell in November from the previous month, a leading survey showed Tuesday, reflecting doubts about the sustainability of economic recovery.

The ZEW survey, which tracks views of Europe's largest economy, dropped 4.9 points and now stands at 51.1.

Despite the decline, which follows a 1.7 point monthly dip in October, the index is still well above its historical average of 26.9 points.

The ZEW, based in Mannheim and also known as the Center for European Economic Research, said the assessment of the current economic situation in Germany improved by 6.6 points to minus 65.6 points in November.

Economic expectations for Germany are still high, although financial experts became slightly less confidence and were still uncertain over how the economy will progress.

The ZEW said there were concerns about the labor market and its impact on consumer spending.

On the other hand, the survey showed that the continued improvement in German exports is feeding optimism for recovery.