German Industrial Production Down 0.3% in Feb

German industrial output fell 0.3% month‑on‑month in February, according to Destatis data released Thursday.
The decline was led by construction, with additional drops in electronic‑optical products and pharmaceuticals, reversing a flat January reading.
Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a 0.5% rise, highlighting the surprise negative shock from Middle‑East energy prices.
Destatis warned that ongoing Middle‑East energy‑price pressures could further curb German industrial output in coming months.