German business sentiment rose unexpectedly for the sixth month in a row in April in a sign that Europe's largest economy continues to outpace peers and shrug off worries about the euro zone debt crisis.

The Munich-based Ifo think tank said today its business climate index, based on a monthly survey of some 7,000 companies, inched up to 109.9 in April from 109.8 in March. The index now stands at its highest level since July 2011.

A Reuters poll of 43 economists forecast the index would fall to 109.5 in April.

Reuters