Confidence among German investors recovered slightly in March from a sharp fall in February, a closely watched survey showed Tuesday, but remains below expectations as political uncertainty persists.

The ZEW institute's monthly barometer climbed 2.4 points to reach 12.8 points, making up some of the 6.2 points lost in February.

Analysts surveyed by Factset had predicted a faster rebound, to 13.2 points in March.