Categories: EuropeInternational Investing

Strong Euro-Zone Periphery Run Shows no Sign of Fading

Strong Euro-Zone Periphery Run Shows no Sign of Fading (Reuters)

A rally in euro-zone periphery bonds and stocks extended into a third day as investors, awaiting signals from the European Central Bank (ECB), foresee further economic improvements in the bloc. The ECB and the Bank of England both kept their respective 0.25 percent and 0.5 percent interest rates unchanged on Thursday, but markets were on alert for signs of future ECB monetary stimulus moves or shifts in the economic outlook. A jump in the euro zone sentiment index to a 29-month high for December lifted the mood for the ECB’s 1330 GMT news conference, helping to re-ignite markets, particularly those in southern Europe, after a brief early wobble. Spanish and Italian bourses both jumped more than 1 percent by 1100 GMT, while Portugal’s main stock market added more than 0.5 percent to take its gains so far in 2014 past 8 percent.

Paul Dykewicz

Paul Dykewicz is the editor of StockInvestor.com and the editorial director of Eagle Financial Publications in Washington, D.C. He writes and edits for the website, as well as edits investment newsletters, time-sensitive trading alerts and other reports published by Eagle. He also is an accomplished, award-winning journalist who has written for Dow Jones, USA Today and other publications, as well as served as business editor of a daily newspaper in Baltimore. In addition, Paul is the author of the inspirational book, "Holy Smokes! Golden Guidance from Notre Dame's Championship Chaplain." He received his MBA in finance from Johns Hopkins University, where he was a two-time president of the school's Finance Club. In addition, Paul has a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in journalism from Michigan State University. Outside of work, Paul volunteers with a faith-based organization to assist the poor in Southeast Washington, D.C., to learn personal finance skills to lift themselves out of debt.