Germany was in recession during all-time stock highs

Initially, official estimates suggested a decline of 0.2% and stagnation, respectively.

So, what is going on here?

The root cause for the country’s ills is shrinking consumer spending over the winter exacerbated by higher energy costs from the abrupt shift away from reliance on cheap Russian oil and gas. 

Domestic consumers typically must save a much higher portion of their income due to a comparably low rate of home ownership and the lack of a widespread equity culture.

Yet the 1.2% Q1 decline proved worse than anticipated as 9%-plus annualized inflation rates ate into their disposable income.

The arrival of warmer temperatures and lower heating bills points to short-term relief, but a combination of factors suggests Europe’s once dynamic economic engine will ultimately stall as higher interest rates cool off activity in capital-intensive industries like manufacturing and construction. 

The Macroeconomic Policy Institute in Düsseldorf predicts only “lukewarm growth” in the upcoming summer months: “Unlike in other phases of expansion, the recovery in China is not being supported through robust investments from which the German export economy can profit.”

Recovery already under way

The chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank, which co-publishes a purchasing managers index for Germany together with S&P Global, believes the recession has already ended thanks to a recovery sparked by the service sector. 

“There are still signs of pent-up demand here following Corona, whether it’s for traveling or eating out at a restaurant,” Cyrus de la Rubia told Fortune.

Moreover, the financial sector is not about to throttle the supply of credit to the real economy, as is widely feared in the United States following the collapse of three major regional banks. 

“Lending conditions are certainly tightening, but not excessively in a historical context, and…