February Outlook: Euro Edition

With Europe at a crossroads, investors are looking for clues about the future of the domestic economy. In the month of February, financial market participants will be glued to the economic data for signs of life in a moribund economy that is still struggling to regain momentum.

February 1: European Commission Growth Forecasts

February starts off with a bang, as the European Commission releases revised growth forecasts for the euro area economy. The outlook on the Eurozone and European Union has improved in recent quarters, but the general trend remains weak. The Commission’s forecasts will be monitored closely by the financial markets.

February 3: Eurozone Retail Sales (December)

On February 3, the European Commission’s statistics branch will report on December retail sales, an important proxy for consumer spending. Retail receipts rose 2.3% in the 12 months through November, and are expected to rise 1.8% year-over-year in December.

February 6: Eurozone Sentix Investor Confidence (February)

Sentix GmbH will release its monthly consumer confidence indicator on the first Monday of the month. The monthly gauge is based on a large sample of financial analysts and institutional investors, and is therefore seen as an accurate measure of investor sentiment.

February 7: German Industrial Production (December)

On February 7, Europe’s largest economy will report on industrial production, a broad measure of factory output. Germany’s rate of industrial output rose at an annualized 2.2% in November. A similar uptick in December will raise confidence in the economic outlook.

February 8: German Trade (December)

Germany’s Federal Statistics Office will release official trade data on February 9. As an export-oriented economy with a large manufacturing base, Germany’s trade figures are closely watched by the financial markets.

February 10: German Inflation (January)

Final readings of Germany’s consumer price index (CPI) and harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) will be released on the second Friday of the month.