German industrial production stumbles in September

Industrial production in Germany fell short of expectations in September, official data showed Tuesday, but promises to remain at a high level into the coming months.

Output from industrial firms in Europe's largest economy fell 1.6 percent month-on-month, federal statistics authority Destatis said, worse than analysts' forecasts of a 0.4-percent slide.

The biggest fall came in the energy sector, where production was down 4.3 percent.

In manufacturing, capital goods makers saw the biggest fall, at 2.7 percent, while there were smaller slips for firms creating producer and consumer goods.

The picture was brightened slightly by a small lift in output for construction firms.

Looking across the three months from July to September, industrial production rose by 0.8 percent, the economy ministry in Berlin noted in a statement.

"The economic situation for industry remains lively ... production should continue to increase in the coming months," the ministry said.

A surprise boost to industrial orders data released Monday showed that demand for German goods remains strong, especially among fellow members of the 19-nation eurozone.