GDP grief: Germany, Japan, France and Italy slump in Q4

Germany's GDP slumped by the most in four years in Q4 2012, with French, Italian and Japanese growth also contracting more than expected on the quarter.

According to initial estimates, German GDP fell 0.6% in the fourth quarter of 2012; the biggest drop since the fourth quarter of 2008. French Q4 GDP, meanwhile, fell by 0.3%. Slumping export numbers contributed to the poor numbers, which were both worse than forecast. Italian growth figures were also worse than expected as the economy posted its sixth successive quarter of contraction with a 0.9% drop. Economists had expected a 0.6% fall. Those numbers dragged eurozone GDP down to a 0.6% contraction in Q4, its worst performance in almost four years. That followed earlier news of...