Mubasher: German manufacturing orders recovered for the first time in three months in March, despite the upturn came weaker than expected, official data showed on Tuesday.

Factory orders, a major gauge for Europe’s biggest economy, went up 0.6%, less than a median forecast of 1.4%, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said.

The increase came mainly from rising orders for consumer goods, having recorded 6.4%, while capital goods manufacturers saw a 1% increase in new work inflows.

However, total domestic orders plunged 4.2% in March, whereas export demand saw a 4.2% leap.

On an annualised basis, German factory orders dropped 6% in March, Destatis said.

The latest uptick in March followed plunges in the two prior months, triggering worries that the drop in manufacturing activity would linger, weighing the broader European economy, while requiring further stimulus measures.

By 8:22 am GMT, the EUR/USD pair inched down 0.03% to $1.1196.