FRANKFURT: German business confidence beat expectations by rising slightly in September, reflecting the continued robustness of Europe’s biggest economy amid the current financial market turbulence, the Ifo economic institute said on Thursday. The Ifo institute’s closely-watched business climate index rose to 108.5 points this month from 108.4 points in August, beating analysts’ expectations for a slight fall, Ifo said in a statement. “The German economy is proving robust,” Ifo said.