This survey is one of the key indicators of country's business sentiment. The survey is conducted monthly, querying German firms on the current German business climate as well as their expectations for the next six months. As the largest economy in the Euro-zone, Germany is responsible for approximately a quarter of the total Euro-Zone GDP. Consequently, the German IFO is a significant economic health indicator for the Euro-zone as a whole.
The figures below 100 are an indicator of a slowing down economy, and is clearly regarded by the market as a negative factor. Values above 100 indicate growing optimism, which in turn causes the strengthening of the Euro.
The survey presents two equally weighted sub-indices: Current Assessment and Business Expectations.