Euro zone economic sentiment jumps in June to almost 10-year high

[June 29, 2017]  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone economic sentiment jumped more than expected in June to its highest level in almost 10 years, buoyed by more optimism across all sectors of the economy, monthly data from the European Commission showed on Thursday.

 European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi arrives at the ECB Forum in Sintra, Portugal June 28, 2016. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante/File Photo

The sentiment indicator rose to 111.1 in June from 109.2 in May, against market expectations of a rise to 109.5 in a Reuters poll of economists. This was the highest value of the indicator since August 2007 when it was 111.8.

The Commission's business confidence index, which points to the phase of the business cycle, also rose to 1.15 in June from 0.9 in May, its highest value since April 2011 when it was 1.36.

There was more optimism in the manufacturing industry with the indicator for that sector rising to 4.5 in June from 2.8 in May, as well as in services, where it rose to 13.4 form 12.8.

Sentiment among consumers improved to -1.3 from -3.3 and in retail trade to 4.4 form 2.0. In construction it rose to -3.5 from -5.6 and in financial services to 23.2 from 20.3.

Consumers' inflation expectations over the next 12 months rose to 13.0 from 12.8 although selling price expectations among manufacturers fell to 7.2 from 8.2 in May.

(Reporting By Jan Strupczewski and Philip Blenkinsop)

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