Consumer Survey Shows German Confidence Rising

Consumer confidence in Germany, the euro zone's biggest economy, is showing signs of a marginal improvement after falling in recent months, according to the monthly consumer climate survey conducted by consumer research group GfK. The survey showed that consumers were feeling slightly happier about their income situation and the general economic outlook, but were still not willing to make any large-scale purchases. "The consumer climate is like April showers," GfK said. "The constant ups and downs in consumer indicators seen in recent months -- a clear sign of how nervous Germans are -- continued this month." The poll, conducted on behalf of the European Commission and based on a poll of about 2,000 people, monitors consumers' economic expectations, income expectations and their propensity to spend. GfK's headline index slipped to 5 points in April from 5.1 points in March, but is expected to rise fractionally to 5.2 points in May, the research group said.