The mood among German consumers deteriorated unexpectedly heading into January, a survey showed on Friday, suggesting that household spending in Europe’s largest economy could weaken at the beginning of next year. The consumer sentiment indicator, published by the Nuremberg-based GfK institute and based on a survey of around 2,000 Germans, edged down to 9.6 from 9.7 in December. A Reuters poll of analysts had predicted an increase to 9.8. Household spending has turned into a steady and reliable driver of growth in Germany helped by record-high employment, inflation-busting pay hikes and historically low borrowing costs, providing a buffer against trade-related problems. GfK researcher Rolf Buerkl said consumers were more pessimistic about the overall economic growth outlook. They also scaled back their personal income expectations, […]