A new survey has shown that German business confidence rose for the ninth month in a row in December.
The closely watched Ifo survey's rise is the latest sign that Europe's biggest economy is on the road to recovery.
The Ifo institute's business climate index rose to 94.7 points from 93.9 in November. The survey covers around 7,000 German firms in manufacturing, construction, wholesaling and retail showed.
The firms were also more upbeat on the current business situation and on their expectations for the future, the Ifo said. 'After the dramatic economic collapse last winter, these survey results should bring some Christmas cheer,' it said.
