|
Figures from Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, did little to encourage hope that the eurozone economic recovery is gathering a head of steam
-- the 0.2 percent quarterly increase across the 16-country bloc hid big disparities. Greece contracted another 0.8 percent even before the government has enacted the bulk of its austerity measures. Policymakers across the eurozone face a difficult balancing act over the coming months
-- sustaining growth at a time when big budgetary cutbacks are being enacted. "The main concern for the euro countries will be restoring confidence in their fiscal positions, while keeping the impact on economic growth to a minimum," said Jorg Radeke, an economist at the Center for Economic and Business Research. Wall Street was poised to open modestly higher later -- Dow futures were up 24 points, or 0.2 percent, at 10,733 while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 futures rose 3.3 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,155.50. Earlier in Asia, stock markets were mixed. While Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average shed 17.07 points, or 0.2 percent, to 10,394.03, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.3 percent to 20,212.49 and stocks in mainland China rose 0.3 percent. Benchmark crude for June delivery was down 12 cents to $76.25 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The June contract fell 43 cents to settle at $76.37 on Tuesday.
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching & Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries
Community |
Perspectives
|
Law & Courts |
Leisure Time
|
Spiritual Life |
Health & Fitness |
Teen Scene
Calendar
|
Letters to the Editor