Euro Area: Economic sentiment strengthens in February
Sentiment in the Eurozone rose to 114.0 in February from 112.7 in January. The index therefore moved further above its long-run average of 100. Sentiment in the services, construction and retail sectors improved amid the falling number of Covid-19 infections. Moreover, employment expectations strengthened. That said, consumers grew less confident in the month. Meanwhile, sentiment in the industry sector remained virtually unchanged, while selling price expectations increased across all sectors, reaching record highs in the construction, industry, services and retail trade sectors.
In terms of specific countries, sentiment increased in France, Germany, Italy and Spain, while it dropped in the Netherlands.