- Carsten Brzeski, chief economist at ING
Industrial production in Germany, the Euro zone's biggest economy, increased in October following two months of decreases. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, industrial output, which makes up almost a third of the German economy, climbed 0.2% in the reported month, after the 1.1% decline in September. In annual terms, production posted no change in October, compared with a revised 0.4% gain in the preceding month. A separate report showed industrial orders in the Euro zone's powerhouse surged 1.8% in October, measured on a monthly and seasonally adjusted basis.
Meanwhile, Euro zone investor confidence rose for a second consecutive month in December to the highest level in four months, largely due to the ECB's decision to introduce more stimulus to support the region's economy. The Sentix investor confidence index climbed to 15.7 from 15.1 in November. However, economists had predicted a higher score of 17. The current conditions index of the survey fell in December, after a surge in the previous month. The measure dropped to 13.5 from 16. Meanwhile, the expectations index jumped to 18 from 14.3. The measure improved for a second consecutive month.
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