Economic confidence in the euro area decreased more than economists forecast in April as the 17- nation currency bloc struggled to emerge from a recession and the bailout of Cyprus renewed debt-crisis concerns.
An index of executive and consumer sentiment dropped to 88.6 from a revised 90.1 in March, the European Commission in Brussels said today. That’s the lowest since December. Economists had forecast a decline to 89.3, according to the median of 26 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey.
Business confidence and investor sentiment in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, dropped more than expected in April. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said on April 19 that the economic situation in the bloc hadn’t improved since the beginning of the month. At the same time, Draghi expects the economy to recover from a recession later this year and economists forecast growth in the second quarter, a separate Bloomberg survey shows.
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A gauge of sentiment among European manufacturers fell to minus 13.8 from minus 12.3 in March, today’s report showed. An indicator of services confidence dropped to minus 11.1 from minus 7, while consumer sentiment improved to minus 22.3 from minus 23.5.
With doubts about an economic recovery later this year growing, ECB policy makers have signaled they’re looking at a range of measures to boost growth, including cutting interest rates and a program to support lending to small and medium-sized companies. They are due to convene on May 2 in Bratislava for their monthly meeting.
“The flawed bailout in Cyprus has revived uncertainty in Europe,” said Annamaria Grimaldi, an economist at Intesa Sanpaolo SpA in Milan. “But I think the concerns are only temporary and we will see modest growth in the second half of this year.”
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