Wiesbaden, Germany - Sales by German industrial companies held steady from February to March, federal statisticians said Monday in Wiesbaden, surprising analysts who had expected a decline.

However, March sales were down 22 per cent year-on-year, the Federal Statistics Office said.

But month-on-month, turnover by process industries was up 1.5 per cent in real terms after calendar adjustment, the first gain in the figure since last August. Earlier German industrial output figures had also indicated output was steady from February to March. (dpa)