ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment - Outlook Improves Considerably

The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany increases by 8.5 points in April 2010. The indicator now stands at 53.0 points after 44.5 points in the previous month. This value is well above the indicator’s historical average of 27.3 points.

Thus, the financial market experts expect the German business activity to continue to recover from the economic crisis within the next six months. The financial market experts’ positive expectations seem to have been decisively reinforced by the recent increase in exports and stable incoming orders.

"Currently impulses from exports invigorate German business activity. Indeed these impulses are necessary to stabilise the upward trend of the economy," says ZEW President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang Franz.

The assessment of the current economic situation in Germany also improves in April. The corresponding indicator rises by 12.7 points to minus 39.2 points.

The economic expectations for the euro zone increase considerably in April by 8.1 points. The respective indicator now stands at 46.0 points. The indicator for the current economic situation in the euro zone improves by 8.9 points and now stands at minus 52.4 points.

For further information please contact

Christian David Dick, E-mail: dick@zew.de  

Frieder Mokinski, Phone: +49 (0)621/1235-143, E-mail: mokinski@zew.de