The Bundesbank said German GDP growth is likely to have slowed "markedly" in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter "Overall, the growth in real GDP in the fourth quarter 2005 should have slowed markedly on a seasonal and calendar-adjusted basis, compared to the strong growth in the third quarter...," it said in its January monthly bulletin The German statistics office said earlier this month fourth-quarter GDP growth was probably "below 0.4 pct" compared to the previous quarter. Third-quarter GDP grew 0.6 pct from the second quarter In its bulletin, the Bundesbank said that while industrial output in October and November was "significantly" higher than in the previous months, exports were only slightly better than in the strong months of July-September Investment in equipment is likely to have continued its upward trend in the fourth quarter, while construction investment should have been broadly flat from the third quarter Retail sales indicate that private consumption remains weak, it added