European economy

road traffic oil demand

UK cancels FCC’s €1.95 billion motorway project near Stonehenge

Bankinter | According to press reports, the United Kingdom has announced the cancellation of the project to build a motorway near Stonehenge. We recall that the project was awarded in 2022 to a consortium formed by FCC, Webuild, and BeMo Tunnelling and had a budget of around £1.7 billion (approximately €1.95 billion). According to the same source, FCC had completed the design work but had not yet begun construction. Assessment:…


autos europa

Eurozone composite PMI rises 1 point to 52.2, highest level in 17 months, but with drop in France to 46.8

Singular Bank | According to preliminary data for October, the Eurozone manufacturing PMI has rebounded slightly to 50.0 points (against 49.8 points in September), representing the eighth consecutive month of increased production in the sector. At the same time, the services PMI rose to 52.6 points (against 51.6 points in September) due to the faster pace of growth in new orders. For its part, the composite PMI for the European…


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Eurozone current account surplus at €13 billion in August, compared to €25.3 billion in same month in 2024

Link Securities | According to the European Central Bank (ECB), the Eurozone current account surplus stood at €13 billion in August, compared to €25.3 billion in the same month of the previous year. In August, the goods surplus fell to €8 billion from €17.1 billion in August 2024, while the primary income surplus fell to €2 billion from €5 billion. Similarly, the secondary income deficit widened in August to €15…


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Eurozone industrial production contracts 1.2% in August compared to July

Link Securities | The European statistical agency Eurostat reported that seasonally adjusted industrial production contracted by 1.2% in the Eurozone in August compared to July, significantly less than the 1.8% decline projected by the FactSet consensus of analysts. In August, industrial production fell by 0.2% for intermediate goods, 0.6% for energy, 2.2% for capital goods, and 1.6% for durable consumer goods. Conversely, production increased by 0.1% for non-durable consumer goods….


bce lagarde dic 2024

ECB minutes suggest cycle of rate cuts over, despite continuing impact of US tariffs

Bankinter | ECB minutes from the 10/11 September meeting. Conclusions: Monetary policy is appropriate to respond to the inflation environment in the EMU and the ECB is in a comfortable position to wait for more visibility on fiscal and trade policies. Everything points to the cycle of cuts having ended for now, even if US tariffs continue to impact growth and prices: ‘the current level of interest rates is sufficiently…


Retail Eurozone

Eurozone retail sales grow 1% year-on-year in August, compared to 2.1% previously

Bankinter | Retail sales in the Eurozone in August were lower than expected: up 1.0% year-on-year compared to the expected 1.3% and the previous 2.1% (revised from 2.2%). Noteworthy is the decline in France (which recorded a drop of 1.4% against a 1.2% gain previously) and Germany (up 1.8% against 2.9% previously). Analysis team’s view: Despite the weakness of the data, EMU retail sales have fluctuated within a stable year-on-year…


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Eurozone unemployment rate rises to 6.3% in August, aggregate increase of 11,000 workers

Intermoney | The unemployment rate rose by one tenth of a percentage point in August to 6.3% across the Eurozone as a whole. We could have guessed this once we saw the data, which was somewhat unfavourable and showed an increase of 14,000 in the number of unemployed. At the aggregate level for the eurozone, this increase was 11,000, offset by other more moderate readings. However, we continue to see…


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ECB forecasts lower wage pressures for coming months

Bankinter | The ECB’s Wage Tracker shows an expected wage increase of 1.7% for the first half of 2026 against 2.1% in the second half of 2025 and 4.3% in the first half of 2025. Analysis team’s view: Good news for inflation in Europe. The ECB’s Wage Tracker is a tool developed by the ECB and the national central banks of the Eurosystem to monitor wage pressures in the euro…


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Despite 1/10 of percentage point rise compared to previous month, Eurozone inflation remains stable for six months close to ECB’s 2% target

Bankinter | Eurozone CPI was 2.1% year-on-year in August, while core CPI remained at 2.3% for the fourth consecutive month. The data was in line with expectations and reflects inflation virtually on target. Analysis team’s view: Although it rose by one tenth of a percentage point compared to the previous month, the important thing is that inflation has been stable for six months at levels close to the ECB’s target…


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Car sales in Europe up 7.4% year-on-year in July compared to 7.3% drop in June; 0.7% fall for year as a whole

Bankinter | Car sales increased in July by 7.4% (year-on-year) compared to a drop of 7.3% in June. For the year as a whole, sales fell by 0.7%. Of particular note is the drop in sales of combustion vehicles (15.2% diesel and 12.0% petrol), while electric vehicles led the way (electric up by 39.1%, non-plug-in hybrids by 14.3% and plug-in hybrids by 56.9%). Analysis team’s view: Slightly positive news reflecting…