With 120 billion euros in investments and 850,000 direct jobs, Germany is a center of U.S. investment in Europe and has gained in attractiveness relative to Great Britain. (...) More than 30 percent of U.S. companies in Germany anticipate hiring in 2006; 44 percent want to increase investment; 72 percent view the recent change in government as positive; the automotive and pharmaceutical industries give Germany only middling grades: competitiveness must be ensured. The year 2005 was good for U.S. companies in Germany: 58 percent saw increased revenues, and 76 percent expect further growth in 2006. The AmCham Business Barometer 2005/2006 suggests cautious optimism among U.S. investors.