Investor morale in the euro zone brightened substantially in March, with economic expectations hitting their highest reading since July 2021, a survey showed on Monday, as Germany’s plans for new debt contributed to the positive sentiment.
The overall Sentix index for the currency union shot up to -2.9 in March from -12.7 in February, beating expectations from analysts polled by Reuters for a rise to -8.4.
The indicator focused on economic expectations for the next six months rose for a third time in a row to 18.0 in March from 1.0 the month before, according to the survey.
The survey of 1,097 investors from March 6-8 also showed the assessment of the current situation improved to -21.8 in March from -25.5 in February.
The survey cited new debt-financed investments planned for armament in Europe and in Germany, where a newly forming government wants to bump up defence and infrastructure, as behind the bump.
“For Germany, investors are downright euphoric,” Sentix said in a statement about Europe’s largest economy.
Expectations for Germany alone jumped by 26.3 points, to 20.5, and the overall index rose by 17.2 points to -12.5, it added.
The picture was different in other parts of the world, Sentix noted. In the United States, there was a massive slump in current situation and expectations values.
Source : Reuters
European defence ministries and intelligence services run on infrastructure they do not control and cannot…
The fiscal dominance view holds that politically captured central banks are more likely to be…
Generative AI now writes a substantial share of the world's code, but aggregate software output…
As women gain political ground around the world, there is hope that the election of…
As tensions rise between major powers and the global trading system becomes more contested, policymakers…
Private capital markets have expanded rapidly, but access remains concentrated among wealthy investors. This column…