German investors increasingly optimistic as COVID cases fall

German investors are increasingly optimistic about the country’s economy as the latest surge in the coronavirus pandemic seems to be slowing

BERLIN -- German investors are increasingly optimistic about the country's economy as the latest surge of new coronavirus infections seems to be slowing, a closely-watched survey showed Tuesday. The Mannheim-based ZEW institute said its indicator of economic expectations for Germany over the next six months increased 13.7 points in May over the previous month to a reading of 84.4, the highest value since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time the indicator was at a higher level was in February 2000. The increase came after an unexpected drop in April when new daily cases of coronavirus infection were much higher.