The German economy ended 2013 on a solid footing as economic growth gained momentum in the final quarter of the year, data released Friday by the statistics office showed. Europe's biggest economy grew by a more-than-forecast 0.4 percent quarter on quarter in the last three months of the year, dpa quoted the statistics office as saying. Analysts had expected the data to show the economy expanded by 0.3 percent. The nation's growth rate also came in higher than the 0.25 percent that the statistics office predicted last month after the economy grew at a similar pace in the three months to the end of September. German gross domestic product grew by 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the same period in 2012.
