Economy
The Spanish economy grew 3.2% in 2024: Why is it outperforming peers?
Spain's economy grew 3.2% in 2024, one of the fastest in the eurozone, driven by strong domestic demand, robust tourism, and EU recovery funds, outperforming Germany, France and Italy. Economists say Spain remains a ‘bright spot’ in Europe, expecting this outperformance to continue through 2025.
Markets
Market insights: What is behind the European stock markets’ rally?
European markets continued to outperform their US counterparts despite the recent rebound on Wall Street. Notably, the banking and industrial sectors stand as the top two performers, driven by relatively cheaper valuations, expectations for surging defence spending, and optimistic economic outlooks.
Markets
Europe’s markets lose steam amid EU deadlock on Ukraine, trade tension
The rally in European stock markets took a breather as EU leaders struggled to secure a €5 billion funding package for Ukraine. Investor sentiment was further dampened by the ECB’s cautious outlook on the economy and inflation, triggering selloffs, particularly in the defence and automotive sectors.
Economy
Lagarde: Trade tariffs could push eurozone inflation up by 0.5%
A trade war could push up eurozone inflation by half a percentage point alone with detrimental effects on growth, ECB’s Lagarde warns. The ECB president said rising trade tensions and a weaker euro could complicate monetary policy.
Economy
Fed rate pause: Bank forecasts slower US growth and higher inflation
The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged as expected but downgraded its economic outlook, citing slower growth and higher inflation due to Trump’s tariffs. Wall Street staged a relief rally after Fed Chair Jerome Powell downplayed inflation concerns.