German industrial orders rose in September for the first time in five months, data showed Wednesday, but officials warned geopolitical and supply chain woes meant the outlook remains muted.

New orders, closely watched as an indicator of future business activity, rose 1.1 percent month-on-month, according to preliminary figures from federal statistics agency Destatis.

Analysts surveyed by financial data firm FactSet had predicted an increase of 0.6 percent.

Europe’s biggest economy has been hit hard by an industrial slump, with the US tariff blitz adding to headwinds, but there had been hopes a rebound would gather pace this year.

However, the economy ministry cautioned that it was difficult to conclude an upswing was underway based on Wednesday’s data.

“The order situation remains fra

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