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The European Commission said on Monday that
economic sentiment in the 18 countries sharing the euro fell to
99.9 this month from 100.6 in August. Economists polled by
Reuters had expected a decline to 100.0.
The index was weighed down by less optimistic consumers,
retailers and industry. The only sectors where sentiment
improved slightly in September were services and construction.
The declining optimism was mirrored by a fall in the business
climate indicator for the euro zone, which the Commission said
stood at 0.07 in September, down from 0.16 in August, the lowest
level since October 2013.
Consumer inflation expectations, measured as anticipated
consumer price trends over the next 12 months, fell to 4.0 this
month from 6.6 in August, continuing a steady decline since
December 2013, when they stood at 15.1.
Selling price expectations among manufacturers, the equivalent
of producer price inflation expectations, also fell to -1.8 from
-0.7 in August.
The declining inflation expectations underline the very low
inflationary pressures in the stagnating euro zone economy that
the European Central Bank wants to prevent from turning into
deflation by flooding the market with ultra-cheap cash.
(Reporting By Jan Strupczewski; editing by Robin Emmott)
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