Berlin, Rabi'I 01, 1436, December 23, 2014, SPA -- Germany's small-to-medium sized businesses are entering the new year on an optimistic note, according to an indicator released Tuesday. The state-owned KfW development bank said the business climate in the nation's so-called Mittelstand, which is seen by economists as the backbone of Europe's biggest economy, rose for the second consecutive month in December, climbing 2.8 points to 12.3 points following a November rebound. The pickup in the final two months of this year followed a series of declines in the KfW's Mittelstand barometer between April and October, when the nation went through a period of economic weakness. While the companies responding to the KfW's survey saw their current situation somewhat better than in November, their expectations for the coming months is significantly higher. "The companies are sending a beacon of hope that the [recent] weak economic phase can be overcome during 2015," the KfW said. The German economy slowed in the six months to the end of September as the eurozone struggled to gain economic traction and global trade was hit by uncertainty resulting from crises in the Middle East and in eastern Ukraine, dpa reported. -- SPA 17:46 LOCAL TIME 14:46 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w