Germany's Federal Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schauble speaks on stage at the High-level Tax Symposium held in Chengdu in Southwestern China's Sichuan province, Saturday, July 23, 2016. Finance ministers and Central Bank governors of the 20 most developed economies are to meet in the southwestern city of Chengdu ahead of a G20 leaders meeting in September hosted by China. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)
The Associated Press
BERLIN (AP) - A closely watched index of German business optimism declined only slightly in July following Britain's vote to leave the European Union.
The Ifo institute's business climate index published Monday sunk to 108.3 points from 108.7 in June. The index combines the views of business executives on how things are now and on how they see the coming months.
Market analysts had expected a sharper decline in the mood in Europe's biggest economy.
Carsten Brzeski, chief economist at ING-DiBa in Frankfurt, said "German businesses do not seem to be extremely shocked by the British Brexit vote."
He noted that a sharper reaction might follow in the coming months, though, and "it is in our view too early to regard the Brexit-vote as a non-event for economic sentiment in Germany."
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, right, chats with Germany's Federal Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schauble before a private lunch on the sidelines of the G20 High-level Tax Symposium held in Chengdu in Southwestern China's Sichuan province, Saturday, July 23, 2016. Finance ministers and Central Bank governors of the 20 most developed economies are to meet in the southwestern city of Chengdu ahead of a G20 leaders meeting in September hosted by China. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)
The Associated Press