BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stock markets rose Wednesday as a German business confidence survey alleviated concerns that Europe’s largest economy might fall into recession. Investors brushed off North Korea’s latest test launch of a long-range rocket.

The ZEW indicator of economic sentiment defied expectations by rising to plus 6.9 points, from minus 15.7 in November. Markets had expected the index to remain mired in negative numbers. Germany’s economy grew a modest 0.2 percent in the third quarter and expectations are for another weak quarter in the last three months of the year.