Industrial production in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, was up 3.2% in October compared with the previous month, according to official data released Monday. It was the second set of figures for October to beat economists’ expectations. The sixth consecutive monthly rise in production was fueled in part by a large increase in the important auto sector, the Economy Ministry said. It followed gains of 0.5% in August and 2.3% in September. Economists had expected a 1.6% gain. On Friday, official data showed that factory orders rose 2.9% in October, nearly double what economists had predicted, as demand for investment goods such as factory machinery rose. The figures point at least to a promising start to the fourth quarter. However, sharp rises in coronavirus infections led to partial shutdowns in Germany and elsewhere in Europe in November. In Germany, restaurants, bars, sports and leisure facilities have been […]