German Consumers More Positive in April

German consumers' outlook is brighter for April after wavering in March, a regular survey published Wednesday found, regaining confidence in the country's economic strength.

"The trend in consumer confidence has turned upwards again. The outlook for domestic demand this year remains very favourable," pollsters GfK said, after their forward-looking monthly barometer gained 0.1 percentage points to reach 10.9.

Inching progress in talks to form a government in Berlin six months after tricky September elections clouded optimism among the public in the last reading, which shed 0.2 points.

That appears to have been "only a small dip", GfK said.

This month Chancellor Angela Merkel has been installed for a fourth four-year term after winning the support of the Social Democratic Party to renew a left-right "grand coalition".

But GfK pointed to even stronger perceptions of economic performance, high levels of employment and higher personal income expectations as more immediate reasons for the upturn.

The German economy grew 2.2 percent in 2017 and Berlin has upgraded forecasts from 1.9 percent to 2.4 percent expansion this year.

Joblessness held steady at a record low of 5.4 percent in February, and survey data point to continued good times in the industrial heart of Europe's largest economy.