Virus wave, lack of parts hold back German business optimism

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — A closely watched indicator of German business outlooks barely rose in April as the third wave of coronavirus infections held back optimism about the pace of post-pandemic recovery. The Ifo index crept up to 96.8 points from 96.6 points in March as companies viewed current conditions as better but expressed less optimism about the coming six months. Germany, along with the rest of Europe, is going through a renewed battle with higher levels of infections as a variant that spreads more easily has become the dominant strain.