German ZEW economic sentiment dips to -17.5 in December, beats estimates

Dhwani Mehta FXStreet

The German ZEW headline numbers for November showed that the economic sentiment index dropped to -17.5 versus -25.0 expectations and -24.1 last. While the sub-index current conditions figure slumped to 45.3 versus 55.8 expected and 58.2 booked previously, missing market expectations by a big margin.

ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach noted: “Although the rise in economic expectations is a welcome one, it should not be over-interpreted. The assessment of the economic situation has worsened dramatically for both Germany and the Eurozone. This is indicative of relatively weak economic growth in the fourth quarter. In addition, uncertainties also remain in terms of the looming international trade dispute and Brexit, which have a particularly negative impact on private investment and Germany’s exports.”

About German ZEW

These numbers are derived via a survey of about 300 German institutional investors and analysts, conducted by the Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW), which asks respondents to rate the relative 6-month economic outlook for Germany. Generally speaking, an optimistic view is considered as positive (or bullish) for the EUR, whereas a pessimistic view is considered as negative (or bearish).

Author

Dhwani Mehta

FXStreet

Residing in Mumbai (India), Dhwani is a Senior Analyst and Manager of the Asian session at FXStreet. She has over 10 years of experience in analyzing and covering the global financial markets, with specialization in Forex and commodities markets.

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