Eurozone economic confidence rebounds
April 30th, 2009By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt, April 29th, 2009
The first significant rise in eurozone economic optimism for almost two years has created a slightly less bleak backdrop for emergency measures to be unveiled by the European Central Bank next week, which could see new policy tools deployed to fight the crisis.
The increase in the European Commission’s economic sentiment index for April added to evidence that the worst of continental Europe’s recession is over. But with the ECB not expecting a return to growth until next year, it is expected to press ahead with another cut in its main policy interest rate from 1.25 per cent to 1 per cent next Thursday.
