BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany could grow less in 2014 than the 1.8 percent forecast by the government early this year, Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in an interview published on Sunday, although he added the country was still in good shape compared to euro zone peers.

Gabriel told Deutschlandfunk radio in an interview that the Russia/Ukraine crisis had hit the investment climate in Germany, affecting not only firms that had direct business with Russia but also the wider business mood.

"We could see growth this year lower than our forecast of 1.8 percent... but we still have very strong growth momentum and the labour market is robust," he said.

The government typically issues a revised annual growth forecast in autumn. Some economic institutes and analysts have already scaled back their growth forecasts for 2014.

The German economy steamed ahead at the start of the year thanks to an unusually mild winter which boosted construction activity. But it contracted by 0.2 percent in the second quarter, leading some to warn of the risk of recession.

The crisis in Ukraine and a faltering European economic recovery are seen as the main factors behind the weakness.

US Reuters/Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index

Location: United States

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 14:55

Strength: 2/3

Previous: 82.5

Notes: The Reuters/Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index released by the Reuters/University of Michigan is a survey of personal consumer confidence in economic activity. It shows a picture of whether or not consumers are willing to spend money. Generally speaking, a high reading anticipates positive (or bullish) for the USD, while a low reading is seen as negative (or bearish).

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US Reuters/Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index

Location: United States

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 14:55

Strength: 2/3

Previous: 82.5

Notes: The Reuters/Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index released by the Reuters/University of Michigan is a survey of personal consumer confidence in economic activity. It shows a picture of whether or not consumers are willing to spend money. Generally speaking, a high reading anticipates positive (or bullish) for the USD, while a low reading is seen as negative (or bearish).

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US Personal Consumption Expenditures Prices (QoQ)

Location: United States

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 13:30

Strength: 2/3

Previous: 1.4%

Notes: Personal Consumption Expenditures, released by US Department of Commerce, measures price changes in consumer goods and services. Personal consumption expenditures consist of the actual and imputed expenditures of households; the measure includes data pertaining to durables, non-durables and services. It is essentially a measure of goods and services targeted toward individuals and consumed by individuals.

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US Gross Domestic Product Price Index

Location: United States

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 13:30

Strength: 2/3

Previous: 1.3%

Notes: The GDP Price Index released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce gauges the change in the prices of goods and services. Changes in the GDP price index are followed as an indicator of inflationary pressure that may anticipate interest rates to rise. A high reading is seen as positive, or bullish for the USD, while a low reading is seen as negative, or bearish.

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US Gross Domestic Product Price Index

Location: United States

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 13:30

Strength: 2/3

Previous: 1.3%

Notes: The GDP Price Index released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce gauges the change in the prices of goods and services. Changes in the GDP price index are followed as an indicator of inflationary pressure that may anticipate interest rates to rise. A high reading is seen as positive, or bullish for the USD, while a low reading is seen as negative, or bearish.

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US Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (QoQ)

Location: United States

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 13:30

Strength: 2/3

Previous: 2%

Notes: The Real Personal Consumption Expenditure released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce is an average of the amount of money the consumers spend in a month on durable goods, consumer products, and services.. It is considered as an important indicator of inflation. Generally speaking, a high reading is bullish for the USD, while a low reading is bearish.

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US Personal Consumption Expenditures Prices (QoQ)

Location: United States

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 13:30

Strength: 2/3

Previous: 1.4%

Notes: Personal Consumption Expenditures, released by US Department of Commerce, measures price changes in consumer goods and services. Personal consumption expenditures consist of the actual and imputed expenditures of households; the measure includes data pertaining to durables, non-durables and services. It is essentially a measure of goods and services targeted toward individuals and consumed by individuals.

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US Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (QoQ)

Location: United States

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 13:30

Strength: 2/3

Previous: 2%

Notes: The Real Personal Consumption Expenditure released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce is an average of the amount of money the consumers spend in a month on durable goods, consumer products, and services.. It is considered as an important indicator of inflation. Generally speaking, a high reading is bullish for the USD, while a low reading is bearish.

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US Gross Domestic Product Annualized

Location: United States

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 13:30

Strength: 3/3

Previous: -2.1%

Notes: The Gross Domestic Product Annualized released by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis shows the monetary value of all the goods, services and structures produced within a country in a given period of time. GDP Annualized is a gross measure of market activity because it indicates the pace at which a country's economy is growing or decreasing. Generally speaking, a high reading or a better than expected number is seen as positive for the USD, while a low reading is negative.

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US Gross Domestic Product Annualized

Location: United States

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 13:30

Strength: 3/3

Previous: -2.1%

Notes: The Gross Domestic Product Annualized released by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis shows the monetary value of all the goods, services and structures produced within a country in a given period of time. GDP Annualized is a gross measure of market activity because it indicates the pace at which a country's economy is growing or decreasing. Generally speaking, a high reading or a better than expected number is seen as positive for the USD, while a low reading is negative.

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UK Net Lending to Individuals (MoM)

Location: United Kingdom

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 09:30

Strength: 2/3

Previous: £3.4B

Notes: UK Net Lending to Individuals released by the Bank of England is a monthly measure of growth rates, amounts outstanding and changes in total lending to individuals, divided into lending secured on dwellings and consumer credit. It shows a picture of whether or not consumers are willing to spend money. A high reading is positive for the GBP, while a low reading is negative.

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IT Unemployment

Location: Italy

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 09:00

Strength: 2/3

Previous: 12.6%

Notes: The Unemployment Rate released by the National Institute of Statistics is the number of unemployed workers divided by the total civilian labor force. It is a leading indicator for the Italian economy. If the rate is up, it indicates a lack of expansion within the Italian labor market. As a result, a rise leads to weakening in the economy. Normally, a decrease in the figure is seen as positive (or bullish) for the Euro, while an increase is seen as negative (or bearish).

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IT Unemployment

Location: Italy

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 09:00

Strength: 2/3

Previous: 12.6%

Notes: The Unemployment Rate released by the National Institute of Statistics is the number of unemployed workers divided by the total civilian labor force. It is a leading indicator for the Italian economy. If the rate is up, it indicates a lack of expansion within the Italian labor market. As a result, a rise leads to weakening in the economy. Normally, a decrease in the figure is seen as positive (or bullish) for the Euro, while an increase is seen as negative (or bearish).

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DE Gfk Consumer Confidence Survey

Location: Germany

Date: 26/09/2014

Time: 07:00

Strength: 2/3

Previous: 8.6

Notes: The GfK Consumer Confidence is a leading index that measures the level of consumer confidence in economic activity. A high level of consumer confidence stimulates economic expansion while a low level drives to economic downturn. Generally speaking, a high reading is positive (or bullish) for the EUR, while a low reading is seen as negative (or bearish).

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