FRANKFURT, Germany — German business sentiment unexpectedly fell in September, a closely watched survey showed Wednesday. This marks a setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz as he strives to revive Europe’s top economy.

The Ifo institute’s confidence barometer dropped to 87.7 points, down from 88.9 in August, breaking a streak of eight consecutive increases. Analysts polled by financial institutions had anticipated continued improvement, making the decline particularly surprising.

https://business.inquirer.net/548971/german-business-morale-in-shock-fall