BERLIN, Jan 5 (Reuters) – German retail sales fell 0.9
percent on the month in November but the Federal Statistics
Office said that figure would probably be revised after a
bullish Christmas that may have helped sales to their fastest
full-year growth since 2004.

Retail sales likely rose between 1.1 and 1.3 percent in real
terms in 2011, and between 2.7 and 2.9 percent in nominal terms,
the Office said in an initial estimate, pointing to strong
private consumption that is offsetting a decline in external
trade for Europe’s largest economy.

BERLIN, Dec 29 (Reuters) – German inflation eased for
the third straight month in December, slowing more than expected
and adding to a run of data supporting the case for lower
interest rates in the euro zone.

Consumer prices rose 2.1 percent year on year, the lowest
reading since March and down from 2.4 percent in November, the
Federal Statistics Office said on Thursday.

BERLIN (Reuters) – German consumer price inflation looks set to dip closer in December to the European Central Bank’s euro zone target of just under 2 percent, based on figures from four states.

Annual inflation slowed sharply in the states of Saxony, Brandenburg and Hesse to 2.2, 2.1 and 1.7 percent respectively, data showed on Thursday. In November, inflation for these states stood at 2.6, 2.6 and 2.3 percent.

BERLIN (Reuters) – After breezing through the euro zone debt crisis for the past two years, Germany’s economy could fall into recession as anxious businesses hold off on investment and exports wither.

Economists who once predicted a mere slowdown in growth for Europe’s largest economy are now slashing their forecasts and predicting contraction, possibly for two consecutive quarters, depriving the region of its most powerful motor.

BERLIN (Reuters) – After breezing through the euro zone debt crisis for the past two years, Germany’s economy could fall into recession as anxious businesses hold off on investment and exports wither.

Economists who once predicted a mere slowdown in growth for Europe’s largest economy are now slashing their forecasts and predicting contraction, possibly for two consecutive quarters, depriving the region of its most powerful motor.

BERLIN (Reuters) – German President Christian Wulff, an ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, said he did use the villas of business friends for private holidays, the latest twist in a scandal that could cost him his job after just 18 months.

Although the president’s role is largely ceremonial, damaging headlines reflect badly on Merkel as she pushed for his appointment.

BERLIN (Reuters) – German President Christian Wulff, an ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, said he did use the villas of business friends for private holidays, the latest twist in a scandal that could cost him his job after just 18 months.

Although the president’s role is largely ceremonial, damaging headlines reflect badly on Merkel as she pushed for his appointment.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany has no plan to “incentivise” bidders at its debt auctions by offering yields above market rates next year, despite having had some uncovered auctions in 2011, the head of the German debt agency told Reuters on Wednesday.

While yields in euro zone periphery countries’ bond auctions have been hitting record highs in recent months on concerns about the debt crisis, safe-haven Germany’s yields have hit record lows, making its debt less attractive.

BERLIN/FRANKFURT (Reuters) – When Tino Blaesi joined the solar sector gold rush, he thought his career was made. Seven years later, he is looking for a job outside the industry after his company slashed more than a third of its workforce in one day.

Workers in Germany’s once booming solar energy industry face a shakeout of major proportions following declines in the price of solar panels over the past year.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Praise for Angela Merkel’s tough negotiating skills in forcing through a deal on European budget rules has given way to warnings that the chancellor risks using up her political credit among Germans.

Britain’s rejection of last week’s agreement, backed by the EU’s other 26 leaders, gave Merkel respite from foreign media caricatures casting her as a Kaiser or Fuehrer intent on dominating Europe.