German factory orders for 2nd month in a row in positive sign for Europe's largest economy

BERLIN – German factory orders rose in April for the second month in a row in a positive sign for Europe's largest economy.

The Economy Ministry said Friday that factory orders were up 1.4 percent in April over March, according to seasonally adjusted figures published Friday. That follows an upwardly-revised 1.1 percent increase in March.

Domestic orders dropped 3.8 percent in April, but foreign orders rose by 5.5 percent, driven by particularly strong demand from the other nations using the euro currency.

The German government has said it expects the economy to grow by a solid 1.8 percent both this year and next.