German manufacturing orders fell much more than expected in September.
The volume of orders dropped 2.5 per cent on the month, with orders from outside the euro region slumping 3.8 per cent, Economy Ministry figures showed.
Some economists said firms in Europe's biggest economy were starting to suffer from the euro's surge to record highs against the US dollar.
The single currency hit a fresh all-time high today, rising to $1.4532 and bringing its gain this year to around 10 per cent.
Recent corporate results suggest German firms are hurting as the euro's rise makes their goods more expensive in real terms for clients outside the 13-nation bloc currency.
Shares in BMW fell by more than 4 per cent today after the car maker posted a quarterly rise in profit that fell way short of market expectations.