- Sentix research group
Eurozone investor sentiment fell more than expected this month, while strengthened compared to the previous month. Sentix eurozone Investor Confidence fell to a seasonally adjusted -22.2 in October, from September's -23.2. Economists had forecast an improvement in the reading to -20.8. Any reading above 0.0 indicates optimism, below signals pessimism.
"The main reason for the general improvement in sentiment could well be ECB President Mario Draghi's continued assertive manner and his institution's intention, which is now concrete, to start buying crisis-stricken countries' bonds again soon if they fulfil certain conditions," Sentix said in a statement.
"There were plenty of reasons for this: the constitutional court in Germany gave the ESM (European Stability Mechanism) the green light, the U.S. Federal Reserve began a third quantitative easing programme and the Bank of Japan also announced additional bond buying."
The Stoxx Europe 600 Index erased 0.98 per cent to 271.43. Germany's DAX Index inched lower 1.44 per cent to 7,291.21 and France's CAC 40 Index lost 1.46 per cent to 3,406.53.