German industrial output hit a high in July with 1.9% rise

German industrial output posted its biggest monthly increase since March 2012 in July, rising far more than forecast and marking a strong start to the third quarter for a key sector of Europe’s powerhouse economy.

Industrial production increased by 1.9% in July after a shaky second quarter in which it fell in two out of three months, data from the German Economy Ministry showed yesterday.

That beat the consensus forecast in a Reuters poll for a 0.3% increase and overshot even the highest estimate of a 1.5% rise.