The free fall of the German economy continues and another horrible Ifo reading weakens hopes for a rebound of the economy from its own strength, writes Carsten Brzeski - Chief Economist ING Germany.
Key quotes:
“The just-released most prominent leading indicator, the Ifo index, instead suggests the risk of a negative sentiment loop is larger than ever. In August, the Ifo index dropped for the eleventh time in the last twelve months since August last year. At 94.3, from 95.8 in July, the Ifo index stands at its lowest level since late-2012. One year ago, the Ifo index stood at 104.2, close to an all-time high. In August, both the current assessment and expectation components dropped significantly. The expectation component dropped to the lowest level since June 2009.”
“Today’s Ifo index marks another low-point and can be described with one simple word: “horrible”. Within one year, the German economy has made a complete turnaround, unfortunately not for the better but for the worse.”
“In particular, the German manufacturing sector still seems to be in free fall. At least in the short run, there is very little hope for a rebound. High inventories and smaller order books do not bode well for industrial activity in the coming months. It would take some relief from the ongoing trade conflicts and a general sentiment improvement to boost industrial activity at least towards the end of the year. At the same time, the manufacturing downturn and never-ending external woes have started to bruise the domestic economy. So far, it is only tentative signs like companies’ profit warnings, a small increase in short-time work schemes and weaker consumer confidence, but these tentative signs could easily mutate into severe problems.”
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD weighed down by China, tariffs
AUD/USD remained on the back foot, slipping back to the area of multi-year lows around 0.5950 on the back of mounting fears surrounding tariffs and their impact on the Chinese economy.
EUR/USD refocuses on 1.1000 amid tariffs jitters
EUR/USD reversed two daily pullbacks in a row an d managed to advance to the boundaries of the 1.1000 barrier on the back of fresh weakness hurting the US Dollar and persistent tariff fears.
Gold erases gains, back to the $2,980 zone
Gold prices now lose extra ground and slip back to the area of daily troughs near $2,980 mark per troy ounce following an unsuccesful attempt to maintain the trade above the critical $3,000 level earlier in the day.
XRP drops 3% as Ripple announces $1.25 billion acquisition of prime brokerage firm Hidden Road
Ripple announced on Tuesday that it is acquiring prime brokerage firm Hidden Road to enhance its institutional offerings and increase the adoption of the RLUSD stablecoin and the XRP Ledger (XRPL).
The Fed is looking at a hefty price level
We are still in thrall to tariffs, the faux-macro “data” driving markets. The WSJ editorial board advised other countries to take their tariffs to zero so that Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs will have to be zero, too. Cute, but no cigar.
The Best brokers to trade EUR/USD
SPONSORED Discover the top brokers for trading EUR/USD in 2025. Our list features brokers with competitive spreads, fast execution, and powerful platforms. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, find the right partner to navigate the dynamic Forex market.