German ZEW economic research institute release a new set of its economic sentiment indices at 10:00 am GMT today. Data for March was expected to show an improvement in the headline Economic Sentiment index, with Current Conditions index deteriorating slightly.
Actual data turned out to be a positive surprise with headline Economic Sentiment index jumping from 19.9 to 31.7 and Current Conditions index improving from -81.7 to -80.5. EUR gained in a knee-jerk reaction following the release, but scale of the move was rather limited. European indices were little changed after the reading.
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Create account Try a demo Download mobile app Download mobile appZEW institute said in a commentary to the release that economic expectations for Germany are significantly improving and that over 80% of survey respondents expect ECB to cut rates in the next 6 months. Nevertheless, assessment of the economic situation remains at a very low level.
German ZEW indices for March
- Economic Sentiment: 31.7 vs 20.5 expected (19.9 previously)
- Current Conditions: -80.5 vs -82.0 expected (-81.7 previously)
Source: xStation5