BERLIN, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Sentiment among managers in Germany "improved slightly" as the ifo business climate index edged up by 0.2 points from the previous month to 96.8 points in April, the ifo Institute for Economic Research announced on Monday.

Although German companies again assessed their current business situation as better, they were "no longer quite so optimistic about the coming six months," noted the ifo Institute, based on its monthly survey of 9,000 German companies.

The ongoing third wave of COVID-19 infections as well as bottlenecks in intermediate products were "impeding Germany's economic recovery," warned Clemens Fuest, president of the ifo Institute, in a statement.

In the German manufacturing sector, the business climate rose to its highest value since May 2018. As for the overall index, however, "optimism declined with regard to expectations." Forty-five percent of German companies recorded bottlenecks in intermediate products, the highest value since 1991, according to ifo Institute.

Global bottlenecks for electronic chips have forced German automakers to interrupt production. Volkswagen already sent thousands of employees on short-time work while Daimler also reduced production at two locations.

On Monday, luxury carmaker Audi halted production for its A6 and A7 models for a week at its Neckarsulm site. A spokesperson described the situation around the semiconductor supply as "complex and volatile."

In the service sector, the business climate indicator weakened again after the sharp rise in the previous month. While the logistics industry was "benefiting from the upswing in manufacturing, other industries are still suffering, in particular hospitality and tourism," the ifo Institute noted. Enditem

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