Confidence among both German investors and Italian consumers edged up in June, while a dip in French spending during May was offset by figures showing the biggest annual rise in spending for over four years.
The eurozone as a whole expanded at its fastest quarterly rate in three years in the first quarter of 2004 at 0.6 percent, and Tuesday's figures add to evidence that the pace of the recovery is at least being maintained in the second quarter.
The German ZEW institute said on Tuesday that its index of investor confidence in Europe's largest economy rose in June for the first time this year to 47.4 points from 46.4 in May, but the market had expected a rise to 48.0.
The ZEW expectations indicator is viewed as a forerunner of the expectations component of the key Ifo business climate survey and economists said Tuesday's data bode well for Ifo's next release on Friday. The IFO index is seen rising to 96.4 from 96.1.
French consumer spending in May showed its biggest annual rise since early 2000 at 4.8 percent, said statistics office INSEE. Although spending fell 0.2 percent on a monthly basis, this was less than expected and the increase in April was revised up to 1.8 percent from the previous 1.5 percent, more than the decline in May.
Italian consumer morale lifted in June as fears about the situation in Iraq eased after the release of Italian hostages.
Research group ISAE said seasonally adjusted consumer confidence recovered to 99.9 in June. But the May figure was the lowest for more than 10 years at 97.2 after falling sharply from over from 101 in March and April.
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